Home Sweet Home
by Brunette Chic
Summary: Nikki and the gang are back! As Nikki receives some interesting news,she heads back to New York to reconcile her relationship with Don. As a case heats up, Nikki becomes personally involved. Will her and Don be able to save their tattered relationship?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Cases and Nausea**

**Nikki sat alone at the coffee table, eating a box of saltine crackers. They were about the only thing she could keep down right now. The house was quiet, as it usually was on an early morning. For the past couple of months since she moved, she'd had these bouts of sickness. At first, she thought it was the flu. She didn't know what it was now.**

**She had gotten used to the peace and quiet of Aaron Hotchner's house. He was almost never around, it was like owning her own house. The suburb was nice, quiet. It had a peaceful nature about it. Hotch did happen to get a few days off without any cases a couple of weeks ago. That didn't last long, though.**

**He was a great friend, who had actually helped to find her. He didn't even tell Mac that he knew her. Why, she couldn't quite say. She knew he was upset about Haley leaving. He never stayed in the house long. He longed to see Jack, and Haley was allowing him to come and see him. Nikki knew why Haley had left, and she couldn't quite blame her, but she sympathized for Hotch as well.**

**She finally felt her stomach settling down a little while later. For that, she was grateful. She hoped that whatever it was would go away soon. She hated nausea, never mind the vomiting part. The vomiting was somewhat of a relief. At least the threatening of vomiting was gone, for a while.**

**Mac looked at the case file, or rather case files. Since Nikki left, he had been understaffed because Lindsay had decided to just stay home and take care of Rose. So, he only had Stella, Danny, Hawkes, and himself. The four of them were working fine, but then the cases started piling up. Stella had four other cases lined up, Danny had two others, Hawkes had two others, and he had three other cases. **

**Stella walked into his office then, and Mac looked up. " Hey, Mac", Stella greeted him.**

" **Hey, Stell", Mac replied, putting down his file.**

" **Oh, are those new cases? We really can't keep doing this, you know", Stella said.**

" **I know. I should add onto the team. I just can't find the time to do it. I apologize for making everyone work double shifts. It's just that, with every new case that comes in, we have to work longer to figure out the others first", Mac answered.**

" **Well, I have some good news. Danny is still writing his report, but as of now, there are two cases that are now solved", Stella smiled.**

" **Oh, really? And the suspects?", Mac asked.**

" **There were none. What we thought were suspected murders turned out to be just some allergic reaction and a heart attack. We looked over everything, four times. It was a natural death, for both the victims", Stella answered.**

" **Well, that's two cases gone, but that still leaves more on both your plates. More calls keep coming in", Mac stated.**

" **Well, that says a lot, what are we gonna do?", Stella asked.**

" **I'm gonna find a few more CSI's, that's what", Mac answered. Stella took that as a dismissal and left without a backward glance.**

**Flack knew something was wrong, it wasn't that hard to define, yet it was. Something was missing, he just couldn't quite pinpoint what the heck it was. If life was that hard to define, he'd never know what the hell to do. The uneasiness had surrounded him for the past couple of months.**

**If this was the definition of a horrible life, then he had it. Nikki had either done a very good job at avoiding him, or she had completely vanished into thin air. It was impossible, but the first option was what he was leaning toward.**

**Even Danny didn't know what had happened to her. Apparently, everything she had brought was gone, so he didn't know what had happened. Mac had been even more quiet these past few months, why, he wasn't sure. Mac had always been a man of few words, but this time just seemed too little of words.**

**Lindsay had finally decided to put the past in the past, although she couldn't exactly apologize to a woman who wasn't there. Flack knew this, and he knew that she felt awful. Her and Danny were better, although, Danny wished Nikki could see her niece. Lindsay had taken a year off to raise little Rose. She was a beautiful baby. It made Flack want to settle down.**

**Flack was glad to see Danny wearing a smile again. But, the one smile, the two eyes, that had haunted him for months weren't there. He had been working late to keep his mind off of Nikki, but her eyes haunted him everywhere he went. He remembered the night he made love to her. She was so very beautiful. She was willing, and she made him feel things he felt with no other woman.**

**Nikki could indeed melt his heart, and when she was around, which at the moment, she wasn't, she made him want to protect her with his life. And he would too. He just needed to prove it to her. If he could ever find her.**

" **Why the long face, Don?", Danny asked, making Flack look up at him.**

" **It's nothing", Flack reassured him, when Danny didn't look like he believed him, Flack continued, " I'm fine, Danny. Really, I am. It's just work."**

" **Really?", Danny said, " Because, I'm pretty sure work isn't that sad. You look like you were reminiscing on something. What was it?" Danny took a seat.**

" **It was nothing", Don frowned.**

" **Ok, I know there's something wrong. Or there's something you aren't telling me. Which is it?", Danny asked.**

" **It felt so right, holding her in my arms. It felt like two pieces of a puzzle fitting together. And, she let me", Don almost whispered. He was almost in a trance, and he looked dazed.**

" **Who?", Danny asked, curiously.**

" **Nikki", was all that Don said.**

" **Oh. Ok", Danny replied, carefully.**

" **She's so beautiful. She has eyes that can penetrate the soul. Feeling my lips on hers, felt right. It felt like we belonged there. I didn't want to let her go, not even after the song ended. My heart was pounding so heavily, and my blood was racing through my veins. She kept moving closer to me, and I could feel myself tremble. I trembled, just holding her while we danced. I don't know what love is, but she made me feel something I will never feel with anyone else", Don continued, still in a daze.**

" **Wow, Flack. I think you need to tell her this", Danny mumbled.**

" **How? She's not exactly around to tell anything to", Flack grumbled, upset, " I don't know where she is, but I miss her."**

" **You're getting soft, Flack", Danny joked.**

" **You think?", Don asked.**

" **Yeah. I do. But, I like the softer side", Danny continued, " It brings a new side into this crazy world we live in."**

" **So, my softer side is a good thing?", Don asked, skeptically.**

**Danny chuckled, " As long as you don't start going soft on the bad guys, I think it's perfectly healthy."**

" **Oh, trust me, Danny. I have no intention of going soft on them", Flack reassured him.**

" **That's good", Danny chuckled, " I'll let you get back to what you were doing, since you seemed to enjoy it." With that, Danny got up and left.**

**A frown replaced the smile that Flack had on his face. It did feel right. He knew that, so what the hell did Nikki feel about all this. He knew his feelings for her, but how did she feel for him? All he knew, was what she felt **_**that**_** night, and that was all he had to go on, for now.**

**Nikki walked back and forth on the floor. Her nausea had come back and it wasn't even in the morning, when it usually was. Not that it worried her too much. She had phoned her parents awhile ago. They had of course, asked if she was ok, and she told them she was fine. Which she was. She didn't mention the nausea because knowing her mom, she would find out where Nikki was, and make her eat soup.**

**She couldn't keep down soup. She could keep down crackers, saltines, but little else. She kept drinking water, and some juice, little coffee, to keep herself hydrated. The only thing she might die from is a given out heart.**

**Life just had to throw curveballs her way. It kept shoving them down her throat. Nikki was sick and tired of all of the nausea. As if life didn't suck enough already, they had to make her nauseas and tired. She was achy and all sorts of other things. Deep down, all she wanted was Don Flack. Those bright blue eyes, that sexy grin. Her heart pounded and did little flip-flops, but so did her stomach. And she ran to the bathroom.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Truth Comes Out... And It Hurts**

**Danny was content just to hold his daughter. Children were never on his high list of priorities, but now that he had Rose, he felt laughter and joy of kids. Of course, she was still keeping him and Lindsay awake at night, but that was alright. He was just happy to sit in the rocking chair and feel his daughters small body curled up to his. He would protect her with all his life.**

" **Are you almost finished there, Montana?", Danny asked.**

" **Yeah, hold on", she answered. She loved it when he called her by her nickname, which he gave because he had a crush on her. He had started using it again when she realized that she was just afraid.**

" **I know it's a little nippy outside, but are you dressing for winter?", he continued, " It's spring, you know."**

**Lindsay walked out of the bedroom wearing a navy blue sweater, and blue jeans. " I know, I know. I just don't want to get sick", she smiled.**

" **Ok. Well, this is New York, and it's getting warmer. We do have a coat for Rose, right?", he asked, looking around.**

" **Yep", Lindsay replied, holding up a small flowered sweater, and grinning.**

" **What are you smiling about, Montana?", Danny grinned. He walked over to Rose and slipped on the sweater that Lindsay had been holding out.**

" **You", she answered simply, with eyes that spoke of love and care. He had to wonder why she picked him.**

**After putting Rose's sweater on, he picked her up, walked over to Lindsay and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Then they got their shoes on and headed out for a walk.**

" **Everybody's wondering…", Stella began.**

**Mac stood there, his coffee in his hands, and not really caring what everyone was wondering. " What are they wondering about, Stell?", Mac asked, carefully.**

" **About Nikki…", she started when Mac cut her off.**

" **What do you mean?", he almost yelled.**

" **If you would let me finish, you'd know by now", Stella replied.**

" **Ok, ok. Go on", Mac waved his hand.**

" **Nikki's been gone for a little over two months. She was supposed to be at work, but no one has heard from her. Do you know what happened to her?", Stella asked.**

**Mac almost choked on his coffee. Stella was usually very observant, but this time, he wished if she would slack off just a bit. He hesitated before answering. What could he tell her? Nikki didn't want anyone but him to know where she had gone, especially Danny or Flack. So, what exactly do you say? " She's just not in, that's all", Mac suggested, knowing that it was a sorry excuse and Stella wouldn't swallow it.**

" **She's not in? Someone should've heard from her though. I know you know something Mac. What happened?", Stella asked, hands on her hips with her you-can't-fool-me look.**

" **I can't tell you", Mac managed to get out.**

" **What? Why?", Stella asked, shocked.**

" **She told me not to", Mac muttered.**

" **Why would she do that?", Stella asked, her curiosity clearly peaked.**

" **She didn't want Danny to know", Mac sighed, defeated.**

" **Where is she?", Stella asked, once again.**

" **Gone", was all that Mac answered with.**

" **Gone? Gone where?", Stella gasped.**

" **To Virginia", Mac answered, completely defeated, and too far gone to stop.**

" **Why the hell would she do that?", Stella asked.**

" **Said something about needing to get a fresh start away from New York. She also said something about Danny needing to stop worrying about her and get on with his own life and she needed to stop depending on him to defend her and help her", Mac replied.**

" **Oh, well then", Stella sank into a chair.**

" **Yeah", Mac continued, " She came in not too long after she started back at work again and told me that she was leaving."**

" **Oh my", Stella sighed, frowning.**

" **Apparently, she wants to be independent. That's what she said when she had said that she was leaving. I couldn't even believe it. She wants Danny to worry about his family now, and not worry about her", Mac replied, frowning as well.**

**Stella sat there and couldn't believe what she was hearing. Nikki, gone? Flack would be heartbroken. He had worked so hard over those months to see her well again. He had been awake for those few weeks after she was kidnapped, looking for her, searching almost every corner of New York. She frowned even deeper. **

" **She couldn't just up and leave. What about us? The lab? Flack? Did she even care?", Stella asked, an anger that she had no clue even existed suddenly bursting to the surface.**

" **I do not know, Stella", Mac replied, quietly.**

" **She couldn't, no, wouldn't do that to him. He loves her, Mac. He really loves her. Would she even care about his feelings?!", Stella yelled. Her anger kept rising towards Nikki. Nikki had a beautiful, kind man who loved her very much, and she just walks away.**

" **It's ok, Stella. I'm sure she didn't mean to. The memories here were probably too hard for her to stay", Mac sighed.**

" **You stayed! You stayed after Claire died! Explain that! It had to have hurt so much, losing someone you love, yet you didn't leave", Stella argued.**

" **No, Stella, I didn't. I had work to keep me from falling apart. Nikki might not have work, and the memories were overwhelming, so she had to leave", Mac replied through clenched teeth, " I think you should go for a walk to send away some of that steam that you have cooking there."**

**Stella looked at Mac and seen that she had hurt him. She turned around and walked through the glass doors and felt a guilt pang flow through her.**

**Nikki lifted her head from the toilet. She walked out to the kitchen and seen Hotch sitting there at the table, reading the paper.**

" **Good morning", he greeted her, looking up as he flipped the page, " Or not."**

" **Yeah, that's more like it", she replied.**

" **You throw up again?", Hotch asked, concern filling his voice.**

" **Yes. If this flu ever goes away, I'll be lucky", she answered.**

" **You've got the flu?", Hotch asked, putting down the paper.**

" **I don't know. Some mornings I'll wake up and nausea flows over me, other days, it doesn't. Sometimes it lasts all day. Other days, I won't even feel the least bit sick. I don't know what's wrong with me", Nikki frowned.**

" **Honestly, I don't think it's the flu", Hotch replied, thinking back to when Haley was pregnant.**

" **Do you know what I have?", Nikki asked.**

" **I think I do", Hotch answered. But, before he could tell her, the phone rang. He had a meeting to attend, and headed off very quickly. **

**Nikki laid down on the couch and flipped on the T.V. She flicked through movies and shows, until she found one she liked, and settled in. But as she turned the station on, another wave of nausea hit, and she ran for the bathroom.**

**Don reached for his cup of coffee, and winced when his shoulder shot pain down his arm and through his body. The last criminal he had tried to catch had grabbed him by the arm and twisted it back.**

**He had been working for two days straight, and in another two hours, he could go home and relax. He was used to working long shifts, but a few of the other detectives had gotten some sort of flu, so the department had put on double shifts to every working detective they had.**

**While he had time to sit, his mind drifted to thoughts of Nikki. Her sweet smile that sent his blood racing through his veins. One look into her chocolate brown eyes, and he could melt away. But then he thought of the emptiness that had consumed the lab and him, and his heart twisted. He felt lonely, and he felt lost.**

**He felt this hollowness inside of him without her. Flack had never felt anything like this feeling, but when she was near, he felt all bubbly inside. It made him feel good. Love was a beautiful feeling. Right now, the only thing he was feeling was loneliness.**

**He finished his coffee, but his thoughts of Nikki remained. He thought of that night. Making love to Nikki felt right. He could feel her warm body up against him, her head on his chest. He could feel her arms wrap around him, and then a tightening in his groin while he sat there. When he felt that tightness, he got up in search of another coffee.**

**Nikki could almost laugh at herself. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it before. She went to her computer, and turned it on.**

**Then, she headed into the kitchen, and grabbed a glass of water. She headed back to the computer and went straight for Google. She typed in the symptoms: **_**nausea, tenderness in breasts, sensitivity.**_

**She hit Enter and then took a sip of water. The results came up and she scrolled through the first four pages in horror. She backed away from the computer, and headed for the bathroom. All the symptoms are related most commonly to one thing. Pregnancy.**

**Stella looked at the beer she held in her hands. It was a cool spring evening in New York. She felt guilty through and through for bringing up Claire. She had felt so angry. She had never felt anger shine through like that in a long time. **

**It wasn't as if she had meant to bring it up, it just happened in the heat of her anger. She didn't usually yell or scream like that, but the fact that Nikki left, without telling anyone but Mac, especially not her own brother, or the man who loved her.**

**It wasn't her place to judge Nikki though. She was a grown woman who was capable of making her own decisions, but the decision to leave was the wrong one. It was something Stella would've thoroughly thought through first. She didn't even tell Danny, but supposedly he was the reason for her leaving. That didn't give her the excuse to not tell Flack. He would be heartbroken to learn of what she had actually done.**

**Stella got up, and headed out the door. She some apologizing to do.**

**Mac thought and thought about Nikki and her leaving. It was so sudden, and it had caught him off guard. He had never expected her to leave. Then, he thought about what Stella had said, and it was true. He didn't leave, even after what happened to Claire. He had suffered from grief, but he thought it was a weakness to leave.**

**God, how he had wanted to leave. It was bad enough that he had immersed himself in work and stayed there. He hardly ever went home, he barely slept. Work gave him a purpose for living.**

**He didn't think it odd that he worked himself to the ground. He loved the lab, it was a home to him. He could take out any anger he had on finding a killer, or abductor. Stella chose that moment to walk in on his thoughts. " Hey, Mac", she greeted him.**

" **Hey", Mac replied, " Are you okay?"**

**She just nodded and then said, " Yeah, I am. Look, Mac. About earlier, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up old memories."**

" **I know, Stella. You were angry, I understand. You were right though", Mac answered.**

" **About what?", Stella asked.**

" **Me not leaving after Claire's death. I immersed myself into work because I had thought about leaving, but I thought that that would be weak and a coward's way out. I decided to stay, to work. It's what I lived for", Mac replied.**

" **Oh, ok. So, I'm forgiven?", Stella asked, quietly.**

" **Yes, you are", Mac answered, then he got up and walked over to her, and silently pulled her into his arms, and hugged her. **

" **Thank you", she whispered.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Pregnancy**

**Nikki awoke the next day and ran for the bathroom. She headed out and managed to get down a cup of coffee, and a few saltines. Then, she got dressed and headed for the pharmacy.**

**Once there, she went down each of the aisles until she found the one she was looking for. She looked at each pregnancy test, and decided on three. One could be false, two is a coincidence and three is an answer. She went to the check out counter and gave the woman there the three tests.**

" **My, my, my. Are these all for you?", the woman asked.**

" **Yes. I just want to be sure of the answer before I panic", Nikki replied.**

" **That'll be 22.50", the cashier said. Nikki handed her the money and grabbed the bag.**

" **Thanks", she faintly smiled.**

" **Have a nice day", the cashier continued, " Hope you get the answer you're looking for."**

**Nikki smiled and then walked out the door. It scared the living hell out of her about being pregnant, she kindly hoped she wasn't.**

**Danny looked down at his sleeping wife. She looked like an angel when she slept. He could just lay there all day and watch her. Unfortunately, he had to be at work in an hour.**

**He got up and headed for the shower. He thought about Nikki and sincerely hoped that she was alright, wherever she was. He still had no idea, and he'd been planning to look. He didn't think she'd run off.**

**He shook his head but couldn't help thinking, after what happened between her and Flack, she wouldn't run away. But, then again, she was never one to settle down in the same place.**

**He smiled when he thought about memories of the past. She could never stay still when she was younger. He remembered his mom always saying that she would probably never settle down. But, then again, he'd said the same thing about himself, and so did their mom. Yet, he settled down.**

**He knew that Nikki probably wouldn't want a serious relationship with anyone right now, but she had to move on, Danny knew that. He settled into the hot water and remembered all the times from being a little girl to now. She was a full-grown woman who could make her own decisions. But, he was worried about her, like he always was, and no amount of leaving could get him to stop.**

**Don took a long look at his bed. He remembered feeling Nikki there in his arms, responding to him and making him feel things that he's never felt before. Feeling love. **

**He stood in the doorway with one of his suits on, holding a cup of coffee. He had his badge and his gun strapped on. He felt that same empty feeling, the hopeless feeling. She wasn't there, she was not there. He couldn't get over that. He did have one regret though. He wanted so much to tell her that he loved her.**

**His phone rang then, and he answered, " Don Flack."**

" **Hey", Danny said.**

" **Hey, what's new?", Don asked.**

" **Nothing much. I just wanted to see how you're holding up", Danny answered.**

" **Well, I'm ok. I guess I just feel empty, almost like I did before she left, or whatever she did", Don replied, moving into the kitchen.**

" **Now what do you mean?", Danny asked.**

" **I mean, it almost feels like life was empty before I met her, but once she entered my life, suddenly, it wasn't empty anymore", Don replied.**

" **Oh, I see", Danny stated.**

" **I feel like my heart went with her, wherever she went", Don said.**

" **Ok, now you're getting mushy with me. You're getting soft, Flack", Danny smiled.**

" **That's just great. The worst thing in the world, and you're worried about me getting soft?", Don chuckled.**

" **As a matter of fact, I am", Danny chuckled, despite trying to keep a straight face.**

" **Nice one, Messer", Flack said, picking up his car keys, and headed out the door, locking it safely behind him.**

" **You leaving for work now?", Danny asked. **

" **Yeah, I am. I spent most of the morning staring at the bed, I nearly had to drag myself out the door", Don stated.**

" **Wow", was all Danny answered with.**

" **What?", Don asked, reaching the front door of his apartment building.**

" **Nothing, it's just, why the hell were you staring at your bed?", Danny asked, barely restraining a laugh.**

" **No reason", Flack blushed.**

" **Okay, then. Well, I'll see you at the lab", Danny said, hanging up.**

**Flack chuckled, and then got into his car and drove off. **

**Nikki sat on her couch and waited for the timer to ding. She was very nervous. But, what if she was pregnant? What would she do? She'd never been one to stay still, so she'd definitely have to settle down. More importantly, how would she raise a baby by herself? **_**Hold on, I'm getting ahead of myself. I might not even be pregnant, **_**Nikki thought.**

**The bell dinged and she took a few deep breaths before walking over to the test. Before she looked at it, she took another couple of deep breaths, and then picked it up. She opened her eyes, and looked straight into a positive sign. She almost panicked, before she thought that it could just be faulty.**

**She took the second pregnancy test, and headed for the bathroom. A few minutes later she walked out and let the timer go again. She drank some water and news of the first test wash through her.**

**She looked at the timer a couple of minutes later and blew out another breath. It was just about time to face the second result. She sat back and drank another glass of water.**

**When the bell dinged again, Nikki felt her heart race and sweat bead on her forehead. She picked it up and again looked into a pink positive sign. She just about screamed in frustration more than panic. Then, she drank another glass of water, and got ready to head to the bathroom one more time.**

**A few minutes later, she walked into the bathroom with the third and final test. A few minutes later, she walked back out. With the timer set, she let it go again.**

**When she got up on the final ding, she took a few more deep breaths, and looked at the test. Once more, she stared into a pink positive sign. She sat down on the couch again, and cried until she fell asleep.**

**Hotch arrived home that night to find Nikki sleeping on the couch. He looked at her and then headed for his bedroom to put his stuff away. He came back out and she was sitting there, staring at nothing.**

" **Nikki? Are you alright?", he asked, softly.**

**She didn't answer. Just kept looking at the wall.**

**He walked over to her and sat down next to her. " Nikki? Are you ok?", he asked, again, this time still gentle, yet not as soft as before.**

**He didn't think she'd answer, so he got up and headed for the kitchen. " No", was all she answered with.**

**He stopped. He couldn't help it. He turned around and walked back to the couch. He sat down beside her, and asked, " What's wrong?"**

" **I'm…I'm…pregnant", she answered, quietly. **

" **What?", he asked, shock clearly registering on his tight features.**

" **I'm pregnant", she answered again, as if trying to get used to the idea.**

" **Are you sure?", he asked, gently.**

" **Three pregnancy tests later…", she looked at him finally, " Yes, I'm sure."**

" **What are you gonna do?", Hotch asked.**

" **Get an appointment with an obstetrician was my first thought after I woke up", she answered, looking down at her hands, " I guess I'll see how far along I am, so I can figure out who the father is."**

" **You mean, you don't know?", he asked.**

" **Oh, I have a couple of theories. Although, I'm kinda hoping for the second one rather than the first", she replied.**

" **Who are your theories?", he asked again.**

" **Jeremy Evans, and Detective Don Flack", she answered. She looked up at him again, and he tried to give her a reassuring smile, " Will you come with me?"**

" **Where?", he asked, confused.**

" **To the obstetrician's", she replied.**

" **Yes, if you want me to", he answered.**

" **You know, I knew that my life would be difficult, but this is ridiculous", she smiled. She gently put her hands on her abdomen, and smiled even wider.**

" **Why are you smiling?", Hotch asked, smiling as well.**

" **I never thought I'd have kids, yet here I am, pregnant", Nikki giggled.**

" **You know, I'd been meaning to ask you why you kept putting your hands to your stomach, besides trying to keep food down. When you weren't nauseas, you had one had on your abdomen quite frequently", he stated.**

" **Are you serious? You mean, unconsciously, I knew I was pregnant?", Nikki asked.**

" **Yes, I think you did", Hotch replied.**

" **I'm scared to find out who the father is, Hotch. If it's Jeremy's baby, I don't know what I'd do", Nikki stated, sadly.**

" **And if it's Detective Flack's?", Hotch asked.**

" **If it's Flack's, I'll keep it probably. I love him, you know", she stated, proudly.**

" **Then, why the hell are you here and not there?", Hotch asked.**

" **Because, when we had sex, we were both drunk", she answered, " And not terribly drunk, but enough."**

" **Just because you guys were drunk doesn't mean that he doesn't care about you", he replied, pushing a strand of hair back from her eyes.**

" **I'm sure that I'm not his type", Nikki stated, quietly, with sadness edging her voice.**

" **Then what exactly is his type then?", Hotch asked.**

" **Blond haired, blue eyed, with a nice ass and great breasts", she replied.**

" **Who says you don't have a nice ass?" he asked, barely restraining a chuckle, then added, " Look, you're a brown haired, brown eyed woman with more sense than a blond woman will ever have. You are beautiful. Any guy to reject you is a jerk."**

**She smiled at his reassuring words, and then he pulled her against his chest until she fell asleep again.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Reminders**

**Nikki looked through the phone book for an obstetrician. She had found one, but found out that he was on vacation, so she was in search of another. Then, she stumbled upon a name. **_**Nicholas Adams. **_**She looked at the phone number and then dialled it.**

" **Hello?", a woman answered.**

" **Yes. Hello. I would like to make an appointment", Nikki replied.**

" **And what is your name?", the woman asked.**

" **Nicole Messer", Nikki answered.**

**She heard a few clicks that sounded like keys being pressed, the a voice. " Okay, I have a space for the 24****th**** of April. At 1:30p.m. Would that be alright?", the woman asked.**

" **That's four days from now, right?", Nikki asked, looking at the calendar.**

" **Yes, it is", the woman replied.**

" **Yes, that'll be fine", Nikki answered, " Thank you." Then she hung up and took another long look at the calendar. She had checked when the symptoms had started, and how many menstrual periods she had missed. Two, now. **

**She was pretty sure about the time of conception, but she had to be completely sure before she went back to New York, or didn't. She didn't know what she would do. She was so confused, although once she read more about pregnancy, she learned that her breasts would change ever so slightly, the mood changes, and many more symptoms.**

**It scared her so much about being pregnant, she didn't know how to react, or what to do. She didn't want to be pampered or anything. She just wanted to live normally, or as normal as she could. But, she had a feeling that things were never going to be normal ever again.**

**Flack caught himself looking at his bed again. He kept doing that, it didn't exactly annoy him, but it scared him. He missed her so much, life was just so empty. He just wanted her in his arms, was that too much to ask?**

**Everywhere he looked, there was something to remind him of her. His living room was full of memories. It was the place where they had danced. His kitchen was where they ate the meal he cooked that night. His bedroom was where they had made love. The lab was where she had worked. Too many memories, but he knew she wasn't coming back, although why it took two months to figure that out, he had no idea.**

**He should try to move on, but how do you move on from the woman you loved more than anything in the world? He didn't know, it frustrated him more and more every day. He had to try, but what he didn't know was how to stop loving someone. How to forget them. He actually felt tears coming to his eyes.**

**He blinked a few times, but it didn't help. He hadn't cried in so long. He sat down on his bed and cried to himself, then the phone rang in the middle of his sobs.**

" **Don Flack", he sniffed.**

" **Flack? What's wrong?", Danny asked, concern edging in his voice.**

" **Nothing. Nothing", he replied, sniffing again.**

" **Are you crying?", Danny asked, softly.**

" **No, Messer. Of course not", Flack answered, trying to put bravery into his voice and failed miserably, " Okay. You caught me. I'm crying."**

" **Oh, Don. It's ok… wait, why are you crying?", Danny asked, confused.**

" **I just, I don't know. I know that Nikki's not coming back. I can't help it", Don broke down in sobs, and Danny frowned on the other end.**

" **Hold on, Flack. I'm coming over", Danny returned. And he hung up, then grabbed his keys, kissed Lindsay and Rose goodbye, and headed for Flack's.**

**A half an hour later, Danny knocked on Flack's door. There was no answer, than he heard footsteps. Seconds later, the door opened, and Don's tear-stained face peered through. **

" **Hey", Danny greeted him.**

" **Hey", Don's voice cracked.**

" **Are you ok?", Danny asked, concern in his eyes.**

" **No, not really", Don breathed in a deep shuddery breath, " Come in." Don stepped to the side and sniffed. Danny walked inside.**

" **I know that this has been really hard on you, her leaving. I don't even know where she's gone. I've asked our parents, but even they don't know", Danny said.**

" **Yeah. Everywhere I turn there's something to remind me of her. My whole damn apartment is a reminder. I just have one question, how do you fall out of love?", Don asked.**

" **Your whole apartment?", Danny asked. Then he thought about the rest of what Don asked, and added, " I don't know, Flack. I really don't. I'm not saying it'll be any easier than trying to commit suicide, but I know it'll be hard."**

" **Thanks anyway. I feel like someone has ripped out my heart, Danny. God knows I've hoped that it would happen, it would probably hurt less than this", Don answered.**

" **I doubt that, but ok. I see your point. Have you tried dating someone else?", Danny suggested.**

" **Me and Nikki weren't even dating, Danny. But, no. I've seen other women around, but no one has caught my attention, only her. I don't want anyone else but her, Danny. I can't help it. I feel like a little boy in a candy store who's aching to have that one candy, but he can't", Don had to smile even at that comparison.**

" **Well, now that you put it that way…", Danny smiled. They both laughed.**

" **I miss her", Don murmured.**

" **I know. So do I", Danny replied, softly.**

" **How's Rose doing?", Don asked, almost a whisper.**

" **She's good. Healthy as a horse", Danny gushed.**

" **That's really good", Don smiled.**

**A little while later, after some good talk, and some bad, Danny left. Don looked around his apartment, felt the hurt tear at him like the claws of a bear. He ached, all over. Nothing could erase the feelings he had for Nikki, that much was certain. He just had to hope the pain would lessen more after a while.**

**Nikki sat in the doctor's office a few days later with Hotch right beside her. She was nervous, she never did like doctor's, or hospitals for that matter. **

" **Nicole Messer?", a short, skinny woman with red hair called.**

**Nikki stood up and replied, " Yes."**

" **Follow me, please", the woman ordered, in a soft tone.**

**Nikki and Hotch followed her through a hallway and then another, to a room with a chair in it. An ultrasound machine was already in the room.**

" **Have a seat. The doctor will be with you shortly", the woman smiled. It was a pretty smile.**

**Nikki smiled back, and said, " Thanks." The woman left the room, and Nikki sat down on the dentisty-looking chair. Hotch sat on a straight-backed chair in the corner of the room.**

**Nikki stared at the room. She felt uneasiness prick her stomach again. It was more of a nausea feeling, and she felt as if the world were spinning. Again. Every damn time she got sick, she always felt like that. To break the eerie silence that was creeping into the room, Nikki asked, " How long do you think he'll be?"**

" **I have no idea. When Haley and me went to her obstetrician's office, it was a few minutes. Never too long", Hotch commented, " Or at least he shouldn't be, considering your morning sickness."**

**Nikki smiled at that. " Yeah, I think I feel another bout of it coming", Nikki said.**

" **He better hurry up", Hotch replied, as he eyed the garbage can on the opposite corner of the room.**

**As if summoned, the doctor walked into the room at that moment. He had with him an assistant. She was a young girl of maybe mid to late twenties. She had a soft shade of red and eyes of emerald green. She was medium height but standing beside Dr. Adams, you would never know it.**

**Dr. Adams wasn't that old himself. He was probably mid-thirties with friendly looking eyes of a greenish-blue colour. It was almost an aquamarine colour. His hair was of a mahogany shade only leaning more towards the brown than red. He was tall and lean. Muscular. He worked out. He was pretty good-looking, and he wasn't even married. Not that it mattered if he was or not to Nikki, she had one man on her mind, one that she knew didn't want her that way.**

" **Ok, Miss Messer. How far along would guess along you were?", Dr. Adams asked, in a very rich and almost, dare she say it, sensual voice.**

" **About two months, I'd guess", Nikki answered.**

" **How long ago did you find out?", he asked, writing stuff down.**

" **Five days ago", Nikki recalled.**

" **Okay. How have you been feeling, Miss Messer?", he asked.**

" **Morning sickness almost everyday. Sometimes it only lasts a couple of hours or minutes. But, I've had it last for a day. There's been some swelling in my breasts, and sensitivity. I've also apparently been having mood swings", she eyed Hotch, " I guess that'd about the lot of the symptoms I've recognized. Other than that, I've been feeling very good."**

" **Okay. That's really good. Most women would say they feel like crap. It's nice to hear positive remarks. You're in good health, then?", he asked, writing down her symptoms.**

" **As far as I know", Nikki answered.**

" **Okay, then. Let's take a look see", Dr. Adams smiled. He had a really nice smile. " I'll just get you to lay down there."**

**He helped her lay down on the bed. And then she lifted her shirt to just below her breasts.**

**He pulled up the ultrasound machine and then took the funny looking sensory device, she had thought. He pulled the bottle of blue looking gel off the table, and turned on the machine.**

**Before he put the gel on her stomach, he soothingly said, " This will be a bit cold."**

**Nikki nodded, and he squeezed the tube. She felt the gel that was cold and blue settle on her stomach. Then the device he was holding rubbed through the gel causing a swishy sound to be made.**

**He searched around a little bit, spreading the gel on her lower stomach. " Ah. I found the baby. You look to be just over two months pregnant. Any idea who the father would be?", he asked, looking at the monitor.**

" **Yeah, I do", she muttered. She recalled the man who had got her pregnant, and she knew the exact date of conception.**

" **Well, that's good", he smile down at her. She could tell he lived for this sort of stuff. He added, " Would you like a picture?"**

" **Yes, please", she smiled back.**

" **I'll be right back", he said, freezing the monitor, then headed for the door.**

**He came back minutes later, handed her the picture, and then rubbed the goo off of her stomach. Then he went to the calendar. " It would appear that your baby will be due October 17****th****", he said.**

" **Okay. Just before Halloween. What a thought", she murmured.**

" **You should see an obstetrician, me, at least once a month. Shall I have my receptionist make another appointment for next month?", Dr. Adams asked.**

" **I'm not sure if I will be in Virginia much longer, Doctor. So, I'm not sure", she replied, getting off the chair.**

" **Call the office and let me know later on, alright?", he asked.**

" **I will. Thank you, Dr. Adams", Nikki answered.**

**They shook hands, and he said, " Take care, Miss Messer."**

**Hotch stood up and shook hands with the doctor. Then, they headed out of his office. As they left the building, Hotch stated, " October 17****th****. Wow."**

" **Yeah, you're telling me. Although that doesn't mean it'll happen, it could be early, or late. Who knows?", she replied.**

" **That doctor looked awfully cheery", Hotch remarked.**

" **He helps the women that start new life on this planet. He gets to see the baby inside them. He lives for it. I might be excited if I did that too", Nikki replied, getting into the car.**

" **I thought you said you didn't like being pregnant?", Hotch questioned.**

" **I wouldn't. I know ho the father is now, and I don't mind it now that I know I'm carrying his child. I like the fact that it's his, and it makes me happier knowing that", Nikki answered, smiling. She loved being pregnant now that she knew she was carrying Don Flack's child. It made her feel like she was in the clouds, and she loved it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: A Heartfelt Decision**

" **What are you gonna do?", Hotch asked, as Nikki prepared her herbal tea.**

" **About what?", Nikki replied, not turning around to even look at him.**

" **The baby", Hotch half-whispered.**

" **I don't know", Nikki sighed. She had been trying to think of what she should do. Don Flack was the father, it was sensible that she could raise the child by herself, but she wanted Don, needed him. Hotch was great for comfort and support, but it wasn't the same.**

" **Are you gonna go find him?", Hotch asked, softly.**

" **Don? I don't know. I want to, but I don't think he wants me", Nikki replied, wiping a tear that slipped down her cheek.**

" **You got pregnant by him didn't you?", Hotch asked. It was supposed to be a gentle question.**

" **Yes, but we were drunk, intoxicated", Nikki answered.**

" **Doesn't mean he didn't want you", Hotch replied, in his matter-of-factly tone.**

" **Why didn't he try to find me then? After I left, why didn't he?", Nikki replied, choking back a sob. The past week had been hell for her emotions. She was already wearing stretch pants because her other pants were starting not to fit.**

" **I don't know, Nikki, I just don't know", he replied, pulling her to the couch so she could cry.**

**Nikki broke down in sobs and couldn't seem to stop. Everything over the past three months, all the emotions, came and caught up with her. Her body wracked with sobs for what seemed like hours to her. In between sobs, she managed to choke out, " I love him."**

**Hotch cradled her and stroked her hair. He knew how emotional women could get when they got pregnant. Haley had been horrible. She cried every hour over almost anything. He remembered his feeling when he found out he was gonna be a dad. He was overjoyed. Detective Flack was a fool not to want Nikki, and he was gonna be a father. Nikki should tell him, deep down she knew that, Hotch just had to convince her to do it.**

**Nikki awoke and found it was dark outside the windows. She found a blanket laid down on top of her, Hotch's doing, no doubt. He had been such a good friend, and he was helping her through this. Hell, he had been through it once with Haley. But, she knew that she was starting to be a burden. She knew she had to back to New York.**

**Don Flack stared at the picture Danny had of the Messer siblings. Danny, Nikki, and Louie when they were younger and a recent picture of Danny and Nikki from before she left, when she had just gotten back here from Chicago. God, she was beautiful. Her hair was caught in the sunlight and her skin glowed a tan colour of someone who was regularly out in the sun. She was smiling. Danny had his arm around her and he was smiling too.**

**Don felt so lonely, he wished that she'd just come back to him. She probably already moved on. He sickened at the thought of another man touching her besides her brothers. He missed her so much his heart broke more and more. **

**He looked at the picture of her and Danny again, it was there, in her smile. Happiness to be back home. But, she was unsure of something. He didn't know what. She was still scared, unsure if Jeremy would come back. In the end, she had killed him.**

" **Admiring the pictures, Don?", Lindsay asked.**

" **Yeah", he answered. He turned to see her holding Rose. She was such a beautiful baby. She looked a lot like her mother, yet still so much like her father. She would be stubborn, he could see it in her eyes.**

**She walked up to the picture of Nikki and Danny and said, " We took that picture four days after she arrived."**

" **She looks happy, like she found the place she belongs", Don replied, quietly.**

**Don felt the sting of tears flowing around his eyes. He thought he was over crying for her, but he wasn't. Lindsay turned around and seen the lone tear that flowed freely down his cheek, and more that were about to spill over.**

" **Oh, Don", she sighed. She went and put Rose into her crib and came back out to see tears rolling down Flack's cheeks.**

**Don cried in front of Lindsay, now he felt so vulnerable, but it felt good. She pulled him into her arms and held him as though he were a baby. She sat with him on the couch, and let him cry his heart out.**

**After a while, he sat staring at the ceiling and said, " I'm so sorry, Lindsay."**

" **Nonsense, Don. It's okay. You needed to do that. You love her don't you?", she asked, softly, as if afraid he might fall apart any moment, and perhaps he would.**

" **Yeah, I do. So much that it hurts. I wanted to tell her that, I really did. I just didn't", he admitted.**

" **Flack, relax. You said yourself that she looked like she found the place where she belongs, well, New York is her home. She will come back, I know it. I intend to make it up to her, for everything", Lindsay reassured him.**

" **Why hasn't she contacted anyone?", Don thought aloud.**

" **I don't know. Danny keeps wondering the same thing. He can't put it together. When she comes back, we'll be able to ask her that question", Lindsay smiled.**

" **You sound awfully sure that she'll be back. How are you so certain?", Don asked.**

" **I have a feeling. She belongs in New York. It's her home, and has been since she was a baby. I just know it, I feel it. In my heart, I know she'll come back", Lindsay half-whispered.**

**Rose started to cry then and Danny walked in the door. Lindsay went to get Rose and left the men alone.**

" **Hey, Flack. What are you doing here?", Danny asked.**

" **I came by to drop off the video of the game you asked for. I got caught looking at pictures of… of Nikki", Don admitted.**

" **Don, that's nothing to be ashamed of", Danny smiled.**

" **Maybe not, but crying is", Don looked away. He was scared of admitting this kind of stuff, yet here he was, putting his shame on display.**

" **You cried?", Danny asked, a look of surprise registered on his face.**

" **Yeah. I did. For her, Nikki. Danny, I don't know how to get over her. I don't want to, but it's the inevitable, right? I'm gonna have to stop loving her some time. I just don't know how to walk away", Don whispered. Was walking away what he really wanted to do? Of course not. What did he want to do? Hold Nikki again and tell her how he felt. How was he supposed to do that? He had no idea.**

**Nikki looked in the mirror and then turned sideways. She placed her hands on her stomach and smiled. She was quite happy with being pregnant, and fascinated with the subtle changes in her body. Until now. If she wore any tight shirts, her very small bump would be visible. She would have to be careful of that.**

**She was able to eat and keep food down now. She was in her second trimester now, the very beginning of her fourth month. Of course, every pregnancy was different, but for the past few days, she was able to keep food down and she hadn't felt nauseas since a couple of days before her fourth month had started.**

**The one thing that worried her was birth. She had watched a show on the Lifetime channel that revolved completely around birth. She had nearly been screaming with the woman on the T.V. The pain looked unbearable.**

**She walked out into the kitchen and grabbed her cup of coffee. Normally, she would be drinking herbal tea, peppermint preferably, but she had a craving for coffee. She had been working for the first couple of months at the Virginia Crime Lab, but once she found out she was pregnant, and they found out, she was fired. Damn rules, and biasness. **

**So, here she was sitting alone in the house wondering if she should go home. **_**Home.**_** New York had always been her home. It still was. She left so that Danny could get on with his life. But, what about her life? Her love? She left because she thought it was the right thing for Danny. But she didn't even consider herself.**

**She had a baby on the way and it was high time she started thinking about what she wanted. Needed. She needed to think about the baby. The question was, she knew she could risk going there for the baby, but would her heart feel the same, if she was rejected?**

**Stella walked into Mac's office with a look of concern on her face. **

**Mac looked up and asked, " What's wrong, Stella?"**

" **Danny's been keeping to himself lately", she answered.**

" **He's got a lot on his mind. He has a new baby at home, and work-", Stella cut him off.**

" **That's not what I mean. Me, you, and Nikki are the only people who know where she is right now, or at least what happened to her. Danny knows nothing and that's his own sister, shouldn't we tell him?", Stella asked.**

" **Nikki has the responsibility of telling him what happened. If she contacts him and tells him what happened and where she's gone, that's between them. Nikki has to sort this out", Mac stated, calmly.**

" **Yeah, because she's going to. Mac, Danny has no idea where his sister is. She hasn't tried contacting him and it's been three months now. Should we be worried?", Stella argued.**

" **No, we should not. If Nikki's gonna contact him, then she will. That's not what we need to deal with. Do you have the report for your Norton case?", Mac changed the subject. He very much didn't like discussing Nikki's habits. She had left and that was that.**

" **Yeah, I do", she replied, coolly as she brought the folder from behind her back.**

**He took the folder from her hand and caught her gaze. She had the look of a determined woman who at the moment was very mad. " Is there still something wrong?", he asked.**

" **I just don't like the way Flack looks right now. He looks like hell", she recalled. Everyone knew he loved her, except Mac.**

" **What do you mean?", Mac asked, as if suddenly alarmed.**

" **I mean the poor guy is in love with the woman who left. Desperately in love. I have never seen him like this. He has gone quiet. I miss his sassy retorts. They always had me smiling, but of course, he's broken hearted, and there's nothing we can do about it. You know, he hardly says anything now. When he's at a scene, he reports what people told him and what he saw, but then he goes quiet. Both of the men with the very sassy retorts, the ones with the sarcasm and wit, are both silent", she replied.**

" **I hadn't noticed", Mac stated, in his best I-don't-have-emotion face.**

" **You haven't noticed? Mac, the whole damn crime lab and then some, have noticed", Stella continued, " People he doesn't know, have noticed. Mac, you need to get out of the office more."**

" **I do, don't I?", he smiled.**

" **Yes, you do", she replied. Then she stood up, turned around, and walked out the door.**

**Hotch walked in the door that night after five days in Boston. He was tired, but when he smelled something delicious flow through the house, he quickly forgot.**

" **Hey, Nikki. What are you making?", he asked as he strode into the kitchen.**

" **Lasagna", Nikki smiled. She did indeed glow with her pregnancy, that was sure.**

" **Smells good", he replied.**

" **I have something to discuss with you", Nikki stated.**

" **Oh? That's why you're making dinner", Hotch said.**

" **Yeah, sit down. It's ready", she commanded.**

**They sat down and ate, and after a few moments of silence, Hotch broke it.**

" **Ok. This is really good. What do you wanna talk about?", he asked, cautiously.**

" **I have decided what I'm going to do", she announced.**

" **About?", he prompted.**

" **The baby", she replied.**

" **Oh? And, what is that?", he asked, again cautiously.**

" **I'm going to keep it. We all knew that. I'm leaving", she announced, rather sadly.**

" **Leaving?", Hotch nearly choked.**

" **Yes. Back to New York. I have some things to be settled", she replied.**

" **Oh. The baby's father", he murmured.**

" **Yes. He has a right to know about the baby. I also love him. I know that if he rejects me, my heart will shatter, but I have to try", she replied, determinedly. She lifted her chin in determination. She would go back to New York, she would find Don Flack, and she will pray to God that he will have her.**

_**Ok, so tell me what you think. Is it good? Or bad? Any criticism will help. I do not know much about being pregnant, so I apologize for any mistakes I make. I would appreciate any help you readers can give me. Thank you.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Memories and Dreams **

" **I can't just let him go, Aaron. He's the father of my child, for goodness sakes", Nikki exclaimed.**

" **He's a single guy, Nikki. He's not gonna want to be tied down", Hotch replied.**

" **I don't give a crap what he does and doesn't want, Aaron. I love him, I have to try", Nikki snapped. She had been trying to curb her language over the past few weeks, but at times like these, she wished she could curse out loud. She looked back down at the suitcase that she had been packing. Doubt and fear filled her thoughts.**

" **It's not like either of you meant for you to get pregnant. There's been many women that have raised a child on their own. You could do it too", Hotch stated, handing her one of the shirts from her dresser.**

" **I know, I know. But, if he finds out in the future and decides he wants to be a part of the child's life, he could take the child away from me. I don't want that. I want him to know", Nikki breathed.**

" **What if he doesn't want you?", Hotch asked, carefully.**

" **Are you trying to bring me down?", Nikki snapped back.**

" **No, Nikki, of course not. I'm trying to help you. Fatherhood is a big responsibility", Aaron explained.**

" **Then he should've used a condom", Nikki retorted.**

**Hotch had to smile at that. " Maybe he should have. You weren't on the pill, though, were you?", he asked, grimly.**

**Nikki thought for a moment. " No, I wasn't. I didn't figure on having sex after what I had gone through, but he just had this way and I didn't stop him", Nikki answered, smiling back on memory that put her in the situation that she was in right now.**

**Hotch looked at Nikki's face. She was obviously caught up in the memory of her baby's conception. She had that dazed looked that came from daydreaming and reminiscing. " It's not either of your faults, you know", Hotch told her.**

" **What the hell do you mean? Umm, if I have it correctly, me and Flack had sex, neither of us with protection, I think it was both of our faults. What else could it be?", Nikki commented.**

" **Lust", was all Hotch answered with.**

**Nikki stopped packing, and looked at him. He had that serious expression that he always had. She had known him for years, yet the face never changed. Always expressionless, always hiding his emotions. The man may get older, but they never change otherwise. " Lust?", Nikki asked, raising one eyebrow.**

" **Yes. It consumed you both. Rational thinking is clearly overlooked when in the state of lust", Hotch explained.**

" **Yes, Aaron, I know what lust does to people. I don't like it. I prefer passion", Nikki sniffed, then went back to packing.**

" **I suppose passion works as well. It's all the same, though", Hotch stated.**

" **Doesn't matter, does it? Flack is the baby's father, and I want him to know", Nikki said.**

" **Even if he doesn't want you?", Hotch asked. He didn't mean for the question to sound so mean.**

**Nikki didn't answer that question because she didn't even know the answer to that question just yet. She hoped that Flack would want her, because she desperately needed him.**

**Flack lay on his couch looking up at the ceiling. She wasn't coming back, he had to accept that. He certain as hell didn't want to though. He never thought he'd be praying at night and every minute of his day for a woman to come back. **

**He needed her, that was the only reason. No, it wasn't. He loved her, a good clean love that he never knew he could feel. She made him feel that one emotion. It was a painful emotion, full of desperation and need. Just the image of Nikki could send a clear stab of pain to his heart and he felt it all the way down to his gut.**

**He never thought he'd cry over a woman either. But, he did. Over Nikki. The one woman that could make him cry. He never knew how much he needed her until she left. Some days, he wanted to cry, and others he just wanted to throw around any object in his path.**

**So, every time he had to go and arrest a bad guy, he prayed that the guy would run, just so Flack could run after him and throw him to the ground. Most of the time, he felt like he was going insane. A woman could definitely drive a man out of his mind.**

**She obviously didn't care about him, or she wouldn't have left. Why else would she leave? Unless she was being threatened. It was a strong possibility, and it would explain why she hadn't contacted anyone since she left. It was a pretty lame excuse, but it was the only thing that could take the pain away, if only for a minute.**

**Flack felt like hitting something. Maybe he should go to the gym, and throw a few punches to the punching bags. He knew it would be futile to try and get rid of the feelings. He would just have to learn to live with them. Gradually, the pain would lessen. Or, so he hoped.**

**Danny held Rose as she cried and cried. He kept trying to calm her down, but Rose was just so restless. Lindsay had a headache that night, so she was sleeping off the pain. It was the time of year for colds to arise.**

**He recalled the first time Nikki had caught a cold. She had a fever of 102.8 degrees Fahrenheit. She had tossed and turned and coughed. She had been so sick. He remembered watching Nikki in her crib rolling around. He wanted to take away the pain.**

**There were so many memories that he could recall, so many things that he wanted to forget. There was stuff he wanted to tell Nikki. He didn't know how to reach her. She worried him so much. He felt like crying, but he wouldn't. Nikki was right on one point. He couldn't put his family on hold for her. Lindsay and Rose were his family, but he couldn't always put Nikki first.**

**Looking back on old times, he had always been there. Louie hadn't been always there, but he was for the first few years of her life. If anyone picked on her, Danny and Louie were always there to defend her. She was always a feisty girl, and that carried on to even now, being a woman.**

**Danny almost laughed when he thought of her teenage years. She had become a beautiful woman, and she had a lot of guys after her. He remembered fending of the guys because he wanted to protect her. She was a flirt though. She had a great teacher, though, and it was him, of course.**

**He had stored away those memories for a rainy day, it wasn't raining, but it was a lot of time to think. Rose finally quieted down and fell asleep. Now he'd have more time to think about everything.**

**He thought of Flack. Danny knew that Don was suffering without Nikki. He loved her more than anyone or anything, and she left without even saying goodbye. Danny felt anger rise as his heart constricted at the thought of Don losing the one person he could possibly have a future with.**

**Danny would give her a lecture and a good yelling at if and when she came back. Don deserved more than what he got from her. Nikki needed to know just how much she hurt Flack, and Danny was more than willing to tell her.**

**Nikki had been packing for more than a couple of days. She rested as much as she could. She felt fear trickle into her heart at the thought of Don rejecting her. All she wanted was the safe and comfort of his arms around her. She needed that right now.**

**Nikki wondered how women could raise children on their own. She knew she could, but she needed to know how Don felt first. If he rejected her, she would leave and never come back. If he didn't, she would be more than willing to stay.**

**Nikki lay under her covers and wished that Don was right beside her. Holding her, comforting her, putting his hand over her abdomen to the place where the baby lay nestled and safe. Consciously, she put her own hand over her stomach and rubbed the tiny bump lovingly.**

**She smiled absently at the thought that even if Don rejected her, she would still have a piece of him to carry with her for the rest of her days. She would get a job and raise the child on her own. Maybe one day, the hurt of losing him would go away, and she would be able to fall in love with someone else. She frowned then, because she couldn't imagine herself in anyone's arms but Don's.**

**But, then again, she hadn't imagined herself pregnant and alone either, yet that happened. She wasn't sorry it happened though. Feeling cared for, and adored was all that she could want. She just wanted to feel it all the time. Nikki closed her eyes at that thought, and fell asleep miraculously. In four days, she would be back in New York, but all she could dream about was being in Don's arms.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Coming Home**

**Don looked at his clock, it was just after 6:00a.m. He could get up and make some coffee, but that was the last thing on his mind at the moment. He loved Nikki but now all he wanted to do was hate her for what was happening with him. Love was a bitch. He just couldn't bring himself to hate her, though.**

**She had left him without a word, hadn't even called since, he had every reason to hate her, yet he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't want to. He had already accepted that she wasn't coming back, he just hoped she was happy…another part of his mind hoped that she would rot in hell.**

**He immersed himself in work because there was no other option. He had become Mac Taylor. A man who worked non-stop, and never slept. Don slept, sometimes. If only for a couple of hours. A nap would be more of a way to describe it.**

**His father had always been proud of him, but if he seen Don like this, his father, Don Flack Sr. would have a fit. Don knew that his father would give him a lecture about women and their ways. **

**Don didn't need to hear that right now, what he needed was to be holding a brown haired and brown eyed beauty in his arms, close to his heart. He knew it was just fantasy, but he couldn't help hoping that it might just come true. With that thought, he found sleep for the next hour, and then got up and went to work with a smile on his face.**

**Nikki felt her hands shake as she drove that morning. She had left early enough, 5:00a.m. was the time she had left. It was awfully early, but she couldn't sleep, and all her things were already in her car to leave. Her furniture had been brought to New York the day before. She already had an apartment picked out and bought.**

**She had been planning to wait until she got back to New York to call Mac and ask for her job back. She hoped that she would be able to see her niece. She hadn't gotten a chance to before and she hoped for one now.**

**It took her quite a few hours to get to New York, basically a day. She had stopped a couple of times for food and a bathroom, then took off again. The minute she seen the Brooklyn Bridge, she felt tears coming to her eyes. This was her home, her **_**real**_** home.**

**Once parked at her building, she began taking boxes up. It took her half an hour to unload the car and get settled. She decided a nap was in order before she headed over to Danny's. She had a lot of explaining to do, and she wanted to be awake when she did.**

**Lindsay sat at the table, Rose had finally settled down slept. She looked like an angel when she slept. Or rather Danny, for that matter. She laughed to herself. Danny would be home soon. She longed to go back out into the field. But, she had a baby to raise.**

**Lindsay sighed. It was almost 6p.m. and Rose had decided that she was going to be restless. Until she fell asleep. Then, everything got quiet. It wasn't an eerie quiet, but a nice quiet.**

**Then, someone knocked on the door. She knew that Danny would just walk in, and she wasn't expecting company, but she went to the door anyways. She opened it, and then nearly fainted when she seen who was on the other side.**

" **Nikki?", Lindsay gasped. Her eyes went wide with shock.**

" **Hi, Lindsay. I'm sorry to just show up like this without calling", Nikki apologized, her face going red as she regarded her sister-in-law's surprise. " I should've called."**

" **It's okay, Nikki. I'm sorry if you're looking for Danny, he's not home yet. He should be soon. You're welcome to come inside", Lindsay replied, as she stepped aside.**

" **Thank you, Lindsay. I apologize for showing up like this", Nikki said, sighing as she did so.**

" **No, nonsense. While you're waiting, would you like to come and meet your niece?", Lindsay offered.**

" **Yes, please", Nikki smiled, " Lead the way."**

**Lindsay led her to Rose's room. Nikki walked inside, and her eyes went straight to the crib. She slowly walked over there, as though she were a stranger. Lindsay felt a pang of guilt for the way she had treated Nikki. She would make amends, she knew that Nikki must truly hate her right now.**

**Nikki peered over her niece's crib and felt tears come to her eyes. The baby was so beautiful. After a few minutes of just staring down at her niece, she turned and found Lindsay frozen in place, watching her with a look of pure guilt on her face.**

**Nikki left the room. She had explaining to do, and she didn't want to do it in her niece's room. So, she walked out into the living room. Lindsay joined her and sat down on the couch beside her.**

" **I know you must hate me right now", Lindsay began.**

**Nikki was shaking her head before Lindsay even finished the sentence. " I don't hate you, Lindsay. How could you think such a thing?", Nikki asked.**

" **The way I've treated you. I know now that the only person responsible for everything that's happened is me", Lindsay answered, tears filling her eyes.**

" **You're not the only one at fault here. I should've known Jeremy would come back. He did, and I can't escape that. I left because of what was going on with this family", Nikki explained.**

**Lindsay straightened up. " You left because of us?", Lindsay asked.**

" **Yes. Danny was always the worrier over me. I appreciate the way he worries. I know now that he'll always worry. I thought he could use time thinking of his family", Nikki half-sobbed.**

" **But, Nikki, you are his family", Lindsay explained.**

" **I know. I came back because this is my home. New York is where I belong, forever. I have family here, the people that I… love are here. I went to Virginia to escape what I thought was a fixable problem, by leaving, but now I've learned that it only hurts more than it heals. And, Mac was the only one who knew that I'd left", Nikki explained.**

**Danny chose that moment to walk through the door, and immediately dropped his bag when he saw his sister and his wife stand up and look at him. " Nikki?", he asked, wearily, as though she were just a ghost.**

" **Yes, Danny. It's me, I'm back", Nikki declared. **

" **For good?", he asked.**

" **Yes, for good. Now come give the sister you haven't seen for over three months a hug", Nikki smiled as she opened her arms.**

**Danny basically ran right into them and pulled her into a tight hug. Then, caught up in so much emotion, anger surfaced. He pulled away, but kept a grip on her arms. " Where the hell have you been?", he asked. He was basically glaring down at her.**

" **Virginia", Nikki sighed.**

" **You didn't call? Write? E-mail? Something? Don't you know how worried we've all been about you?", he asked, his voice tight with unshed emotion.**

" **No, I didn't. And, I am so sorry. I came back because I couldn't run anymore, because what I need, what I want, is in New York. I came back because of Lindsay, you, Rose, the team", Nikki explained.**

" **Anything else?", Danny asked, expectantly. **

" **And someone who's very special to me, and it took me this long to figure out just how much", Nikki sighed.**

**Danny looked at Nikki, then Lindsay. He have a sad sigh and then hugged his sister so tight. " Danny? Could you let me go? Can't breath", Nikki gasped.**

**He released her and gave her an apologetic look. " You look good", he commented.**

" **Thank you, and it's all because of-", she stopped herself, " Nevermind."**

" **What is it? Because of what?", Danny pressed.**

" **It's nothing to worry about", Nikki faked a smile.**

" **Okay", Danny sighed, letting it go, for now. " Have you seen Rose yet?"**

" **Yes, I have. Congratulations. She is very beautiful", Nikki replied.**

" **Thank you", they both answered.**

**They all smiled, and caught up on everything. Nikki told then everything, except that she was pregnant, that she was in love with Don Flack, that would be saved for her conversation with Don, he needed to hear everything from her. Her whole explanation, everything, needed to be heard from her, not Danny.**

**Nikki got back to her apartment and decided as soon as she walked in the door that she had to go talk to Mac to get her job back. If she didn't have Flack, at least she would have some way to support her baby. She took off and headed for the lab.**

**Once she got there, Nikki went up the elevator to the 35****th**** floor. She walked through the all too familiar hallways and straight to Mac's office. She seen that he was inside so she went straight to the door and knocked on the glass. **

**Mac looked up and immediately motioned for her to come inside. She did. **

" **Hi, Mac", Nikki greeted.**

" **Nikki. Am I dreaming?", Mac asked.**

" **No, you're not. I'm back. For good", Nikki announced.**

" **That's great. So, you came to say hi. Have you talked to Danny yet? Does he know you're back?", Mac questioned.**

" **Yeah, I went to see him and Lindsay first. I talked to them, reconciled with Lindsay, got to meet my niece. She's so beautiful. I also came here to talk to you", Nikki replied.**

" **What about?", Mac asked.**

" **I was wondering if I might be able to get my job back", Nikki replied.**

" **I do need extra help around here since Lindsay's taken a year off to raise Rose. Yes, I think you could, you will. I can have the paper's drawn up by tomorrow night. Is that good?", Mac asked.**

" **Yes, that's good. I was afraid I might not be able to get it back. Can you do something else for me, please?", Nikki asked.**

" **What is it, Nikki?", Mac asked, concerned.**

" **Can you please not tell anyone else that I'm back? I don't want anyone to know just yet, besides Danny. I already made him promise that he wouldn't", Nikki practically begged.**

" **I can do that", Mac answered.**

" **Thanks", Nikki smiled, as she turned to leave.**

**Nikki walked out into the hall towards the elevator with her head down, but her smile still remained. It seemed everything was coming together. Tomorrow, she would go see her parents, and then she would talk to Don afterwards. She had no idea when she would talk to him, but she would.**

**She almost got towards the elevator when she heard it ding, and then she heard footsteps. The footfalls were coming towards her, so she looked up and straight into the eyes of Don Flack.**

**Don looked at the woman in front of him. A look of shock crossed his face, then surprise, he looked around to make sure no one else was watching before saying, " Nikki?"**

" **Hi, Don", she replied, with a slight look of surprise on her face, but also a smile.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Hidden Secrets**

" **Am I dreaming?", Don asked, carefully.**

" **No, Don. You're not", Nikki replied, " Would you like to sit down?"**

**He looked around carefully, and then nodded his head.**

" **I know this must be hard for you to take in. Especially now. I'm back", Nikki continued, as she put her arm around Don's waist, and draped his arm over her shoulders.**

" **You are?", he asked.**

" **Yeah, Virginia was just, well, lonely without everyone. I realized that I was foolish by running away. Danny is my brother, and he can take care of himself and his family. New York is where my heart is, it's my home, it always has been, always will be. No matter what happened here, I can't let it get in the way", Nikki explained.**

" **For good? You're back, for good?", he asked, to reassure himself more than anything.**

" **Yes, Don. I am. I'm not leaving again", Nikki reassured him. She sat him down in a chair and then sat opposite of him.**

" **Does Danny know yet?", Don murmured.**

" **Yeah, I went there earlier, Rose is so beautiful", Nikki recalled.**

" **Yes, she is. And Lindsay?", Don asked, carefully.**

" **Like what happened over the past few months never happened", Nikki smiled.**

" **That's good", Don replied.**

" **I missed you", Nikki blushed, then looked down.**

**Don stared at her, not believing what she had just said. " You did?", he inquired.**

" **Yeah, I did. A lot", she looked up and her eyes were filled with tears. " I'm so sorry for not telling you I was leaving, but I thought it would make it easier for both of us if I never told you. I hate good-byes", Nikki sobbed.**

" **Oh, Nikki. It's alright, it's in the past. Just, next time you decide to leave, tell me so I can have a chance to try and stop you", he smiled. Nikki immediately stopped crying when he smiled. Her heart felt like jelly at that moment.**

" **I will. I promise", she replied, sniffling a little. " But, just for the record, I'm not leaving again. Ever."**

" **Ok. Good, because I missed you like crazy, wondering if you were ever coming back", he responded.**

**They chatted for what seemed like hours before she headed home, and he headed off to finish what he had come to the lab to do in the first place.**

**A few days later, Nikki stood at her second crime scene since she came back. She frowned, not just because there was a dead body in front of her, and how it suddenly made her feel, but the fact that she hadn't told Don that she was pregnant yet. **

**He deserved to know, she knew that, but she just couldn't find it in herself to tell him yet. She got mesmerized every damn time she seen him, that she couldn't find the words in her brain. Her mind kept going over the one and only night they had ever been together.**

**She looked down at the body before her. It made her feel sick to her stomach, and she could only conclude that it was because of her pregnancy. She tried to go over happier times, such as when Stella and Hawkes, and the rest of team had found out that she was back. They were so surprised, but so happy.**

**Nikki started photographing the body and everything in the immediate vicinity of the area. There was a blood trail leading from the body out into the street, it looked as thought the victim had run to try and get away from their attacker and didn't quite make it.**

**She sighed to herself. Nikki just couldn't understand why people had to kill, it was so ridiculous. It was stupid. Nikki had never liked violence, that apparently was a man thing. She knew enough about that from Jeremy. She shuddered at the thought.**

" **You cold?", Don asked, coming up behind her.**

" **No. Just sad", Nikki replied.**

" **Why?", Don inquired.**

" **Murder. It's so unnecessary. Why do people have the urge to kill?", Nikki asked, clearly devastated.**

**Don just looked at Nikki for a few minutes. Something was wrong, he knew it. " Nikki? Is everything alright?", he asked, calmly, as he came to stand beside her.**

" **It's nothing", she murmured.**

" **There's something wrong, I know it. What is going on? Is it memories?", he asked, carefully as to not upset her too much more than she was already.**

" **Of Jeremy? How could I forget? I look back on that as a bad time, nothing more", Nikki replied, coolly.**

**Don looked at her before asking, " Have you talked to anyone about what happened, Nikki?"**

" **What? A shrink? Like that's gonna help. I'm not going to no quack", Nikki snapped.**

" **Ok, ok. Calm down. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just that, with everything that's happened, I wanna know if you're okay", Don replied.**

" **I'm fine", she looked at Don. " Really, Flack. I'm fine. I'll be fine. It's just hard, that's all. A rough patch. I'll get through it."**

" **Alone?", Don inquired.**

**Nikki looked at him. " Who else would help me? I'm damaged goods, Don. We both know that. Now, I've got to get back to work", she said.**

**Don walked away without another word. He knew she needed someone, she was extremely lonely, he could tell. He was there for her, he just had to let her know that. **

**She was too proud to admit that she needed to talk to someone, she had changed over the past few months, she was tougher-he had expected that, after what she went through-, but she still had a heart, and a kind one at that. He loved her, and that was the reason why he would never leave her.**

**Nikki instantly regretted how cold she had acted towards Don. He was only trying to help her. She knew that she had changed ever since Jeremy, but she did indeed love Don, and instead of trying to push him away, she should be trying to pull him closer.**

**She also had to tell him her secret, she almost had earlier. She had to stop herself from giving it away. Now was just not the time to tell him. She didn't know when, but she would, when the time was right.**

**Danny and Don sat at Sullivan's that night, each nursing a beer. **

" **Women", Don muttered.**

" **What?", Danny asked, startled.**

" **I said-", Don tried.**

" **I know what you said, what did you mean by 'women'?", Danny asked.**

" **They're such confusing creatures. I don't understand any of them", Don responded.**

" **But, Don, they may be confusing, but they're also clever, and smart, and beautiful. They have a way of making us men shake in our boots, and fall shamelessly to their feet", Danny replied.**

" **Shamelessly?", Don inquired, " When the hell did you start using words like that?"**

" **When I got married", Danny grinned devilishly.**

" **I see", Don replied, shaking his head.**

" **Do you, Don?", Danny asked.**

" **No", Don grinned into his beer.**

" **So, this is what love has done to you, huh?", Danny asked.**

" **I have no idea what you mean", Don said, soberly.**

" **Bull. You know exactly what I mean", Danny replied, almost as if he was scolding a child.**

" **Your sister's got one hell of an effect on me, I guess. And, the strange thing is, I don't mind at all", Don answered.**

" **I rather like what my sister has done to you. I bet she does too", Danny grinned.**

" **You know, I would do anything for her", Don murmured.**

" **Does she know that?", Danny inquired.**

" **I don't think she does. When I first seen her, she had said that she missed me, and she was very relaxed and all smiles. Now, I don't even think she knows that she holds my heart in her hands", Don replied, quietly.**

" **Why don't you just confront her with your feelings?", Danny asked.**

**Don didn't reply to that, he just put his head down.**

" **You're scared she'll refuse you", Danny stated, more than asked.**

" **You could say that, yeah, I guess that's pretty much it right there", Don murmured.**

" **You don't want to lose her", Danny stated, quietly.**

" **No, I don't. If she rejects me, I don't know how I'll survive. I've barely hung on when she was gone, and you seen me after she was kidnapped, I almost died thinking I'd never see her again", Don replied, with tears in his eyes.**

" **This is what love does to people. It turns them into sentimental fools, although I guess that includes me. Look, you need to confront her with your feelings. Drop all fear and let your heart guide you. You can't go wrong", Danny said.**

**With those words, Don made a decision, right then and there. He had vowed that he would never leave Nikki, no matter what. That doesn't change now, and it never would. He would confront her with his feelings, his heart was in her hands, whether he wanted it to be or not, and it was hers to do with as she liked.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: A Secret Revealed **

**Nikki tossed and turned in her sleep. She dreamt of being kidnapped again by Jeremy. The terror of seeing his face again startled her. She awoke with a scream and a cold sweat. She clutched the sheets so hard that she swore they would be ripped apart had she slept any longer.**

**It kept happening over the past few nights now. It had been two weeks since she'd returned to New York. Nightmares which had occurred ever since she had killed and escaped Jeremy kept coming back to her. They had stopped for awhile now, but just recently started up again.**

**Usually Nikki awoke to a cold sweat after the dream that he would come back and get her. This one unsettled her. She got up and went for her coat and purse. She needed to go somewhere else. Just for awhile. She needed air.**

**After catching a taxi, she told him where to go absently. Now, she stood in front of Flack's apartment building, staring up at the dark window that she knew was Don's. How she remembered it, she didn't know, and didn't care.**

**She walked up to his door and opened it. Then she got in an elevator that took her to his floor. She stopped just outside his door, and hesitated, then knocked just loud enough that he would hear, if he was inside.**

**Don heard soft knocking coming from outside his door, and went to open it. He was startled when he opened the door and found Nikki staring with sad eyes at him.**

" **Nikki?", he whispered softly. She had her coat hugged about her like she was cold, or protecting herself.**

" **Hi, Don. I'm sorry to just come over like this without calling, but I didn't know where else to go", she answered.**

" **Come in, it's fine", he replied, stepping aside.**

**She stepped inside, and looked around. Everything was the exact same as the last time she was there. That brought back a flood of memories, and unconsciously her hand went to her stomach. She removed it when she heard foot steps coming up behind her. **

" **Didn't do much redecorating, did you?", she teased.**

**He blushed, before answering, " No, not really. Mostly, it's because I'm not home often, and well the other is… Nevermind."**

**Nikki was anxious to ask him what the other part of it was, but quickly stopped herself.**

" **Nikki, what's wrong?", he asked, concerned. She had said earlier that she didn't know where else to go, and he wanted to know why, and what was going on.**

" **It's sounds kind of stupid now. Ever since… well, Jeremy, I've been having nightmares. Most of it is him when he kidnapped me and what happened. But, the other nightmares are of him coming back. I just feel so alone in that apartment", she half-whispered.**

" **That's not stupid. It's normal. And you ended up here?", he inquired.**

" **Yes", she answered, quietly.**

**He drew her into his arms, and held her. She took what comfort she could get from him. She knew she must tell him about the baby, but that would be for after.**

**She lifted her head from his chest and looked straight into his eyes. He bent down and kissed her. He had meant for it to be gentle and calming, but quickly turned into a kiss of fierce passion that had been denied them for so long.**

**He led her into his bedroom, dropping articles of clothing along the way. He gently laid her down on the blankets, his hand exploring her body, as if for the first time. He recalled the flatness of her stomach, compared to the slight roundness of her abdomen now.**

**Nikki knew he had discovered her secret, by accident, and this was not how she wanted him to know about it. He stopped kissing her, and gently pulled back, looking into her eyes. She could read the question burning in his eyes, before he spoke it.**

" **Are you… pregnant?", he asked.**

**She sighed and then gently pushed him so he would get off of her. Then, she sat up and looked away. " Yes", she admitted.**

" **Oh", he replied.**

**She got up and picked up every article of clothing, putting it on as she walked out of his bedroom. He followed her, doing the same, at least once he pants on.**

" **Umm… can I ask how far along you are?", he asked, carefully.**

" **Fourteen weeks. Or, three and a half months", she answered.**

" **I see. I know I have no right to know this, but you were staying at that friend, Agent Hotchner. The one who's team came to help us find you. Umm… I probably don't want to know this, but is he the father?", Flack asked, fearing the answer.**

**Nikki looked at the floor and then up at Don. " No", she responded.**

" **Oh", he replied. Inside, he breathed a sigh of relief.**

" **You are", she replied, quietly. She had thought he hadn't heard her at first.**

**Don couldn't believe what he had just heard. He breathed in a shaky breath before asking, " What?"**

**Squaring her shoulders, and deciding that he already knew, she kept asking herself what the point of hiding it from him any longer was. There was no point. " I said, you are the father", she answered.**

**He just stared at her as if she had grown two heads, and perhaps, she might have. She knew this must come as a surprise for him. So, she got up and headed for the door. She had just opened it, when a hand came from behind her and shut it hard, banging it. Nikki winced.**

**She slowly turned around to see him standing there behind her. He still had his hand on the door behind her head, so she backed up until she hit the door, which was two steps behind her. He moved closer. **

" **Tell me that you're joking about this whole thing, please", he begged.**

**Nikki could see that he wanted her to be joking, and that hurt her deep inside. But, what could she expect? " I'm sorry, Don. I'm not", she whispered, knowing that if she spoke, her voice would crack, and she didn't want him to know just how deeply she hurt within.**

**He turned away from her then. She took that chance and opened the door and then ran. She didn't want to look back, and the tears that had stung her eyes minutes before now began falling down her cheeks. She stopped once she got outside and got down on her knees and sobbed hard and long. **

**People stopped and watched as she cried, handing her tissues and asking what was wrong. After awhile, once her tears finally dried up, she managed to pick herself up off the ground and catch a cab home. She never slept the rest of the night.**

**She cried again in the morning and on her way to work. She walked past people with her head down, until she hit someone. She looked up to see Don Flack looking down at her. **

**Don looked at Nikki, red-rimmed. She looked like she had been crying. He felt his heart wrench. He wanted to take her in his arms. She knew he thought that he hated her. But, before he could tell her the truth, tears welled up in her eyes and she ran around him, avoiding his arms.**

**She ran past Stella, who watched her run and called out her name. She did not answer. Stella then looked questioningly at Don, who shrugged his shoulders and walked off.**

**Nikki also ran past Danny, in full crying mode. He called out her name, and again, she did not turn around. He looked around and seen Stella headed for him.**

" **Hey, Danny, is she okay?", Stella called.**

" **I don't know. Should we go after her?", he asked.**

" **I am. She had run into Don before she took off. Then, she ran off, from him it seems. I don't understand. I'll ask her", Stella replied.**

" **Thanks, Stell. If that fails, I'll go to Don and ask what's wrong. If she ran from him, than he ought to know", Danny said. Then, they parted and Stella went to follow Nikki.**

**She couldn't see her anymore, but all she had to do was follow the stares. She followed her straight into the locker room. She could hear Nikki's sobs. She followed them.**

**There, huddled in a corner on the floor, Nikki sat with her head in her arms on her knees, which were drawn protectively up towards her body. Stella walked slowly to her and sat down in front of her.**

" **Nikki?", she said.**

**Nikki looked up, her eyes were still shedding tears, and another sib began.**

" **Nikki, what's wrong?", Stella asked.**

**Nikki didn't answer, she kept sobbing. After awhile, Stella let her be, knowing she would not get anything from her. She told Nikki that she knew where to find her if she wanted to talk. Nikki only nodded to that.**

**Stella walked down the hallway, recalling the very sad look Nikki gave her when she had looked up. Something was wrong, but until Nikki wanted to confide in her or Danny could talk to Flack, no one would know what happened.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Teardrops and Pain**

**Nikki walked up to Stella's office, and seen that she was looking at something on the computer. Nikki had cried for almost another hour and she was sure that her tear ducts were well dried up.**

**She knocked on Stella's door and Stella looked up. "Hey, Nikki. Are you… okay?", Stella asked.**

" **Yes. No. No, I'm not", Nikki answered, quietly. She tried to smile, and failed miserably.**

" **Come here, Nikki. It's okay. Sit down, relax", Stella chided. The younger woman looked pale and drawn, with the exception of her red-rimmed eyes.**

**Nikki walked over to the chair that Stella sat beside hers and sat down tentatively. She felt so small, and lost. Life was just not being fair to her. She could understand that he rejected her, and why. That was plain and clear.**

" **Nikki. I want you to know that I'm always here for you if you ever want to talk", Stella started. She knew that it had been hard enough for Nikki to come back here, but now she just looked withdrawn from the world.**

" **I'm pregnant", Nikki said quietly.**

**Stella could only stare in shock and hope that what Nikki had just said was a lie. She repressed her shock, and then asked, " Is that why you were crying? Because you found out you were pregnant?"**

**Nikki shook her head and replied, " No, it's not the reason. I found out about a month or so ago. I'm over that shock, it's just this other shock and hurt and goddamn this world, and life. It's just not fair."**

" **What's not fair?", Stella asked, careful not to tread to close to a line that Nikki didn't want to cross just yet. When Nikki didn't reply though, Stella persisted even further by asking, " What happened with Don this morning?"**

**Nikki looked away, ashamed that her show of emotion was witnessed by the whole lab. She knew that if she had any tears right now, they would be rising up in her eyes. She had hoped with all her heart that Don would be happy with her news, now she knew different.**

" **Nikki? What happened?", Stella persisted.**

**Nikki shook her head and then put it down, lowering her eyes. She felt ashamed, and angry, not only at him, but at herself. She shouldn't have let anything happen last night. She had lost control, and she didn't like it. **

**She felt a cold determination seep into her body and mind. She needed to steel herself against hurt. She needed to be strong for the baby. If she had to face it alone, she would face it with determination and strength. She would never hurt again.**

**Angling her chin at a stubborn angle, she lifted her eyes and met Stella's. " I'm terribly sorry, Stell. I need to get back to work, I have a case to finish off", Nikki said, in a cold voice. She had a hard, determined look in her eyes and Stella wondered what had happened in those brief minutes when she hadn't answered Stella's question.**

**Nikki got up and walked out of the office, her back ramrod straight. She had a stubborn, determined lift to her chin and a cold, almost steely look in her eyes. She walked straight to her little office and picked up the pictures of her latest crime scene. She laid them out on the desk, looking for something, anything.**

**She also realized that she should probably go down to the morgue and see what Sid had found out. She stood up, picked up her photographs, put them in the envelope and headed for the morgue.**

**She walked into the room, and almost instantly regretted it. The smell of death loomed in the air, making Nikki want to gag, instead, she swallowed the bile and walked over to Sid Hammerback.  
**

" **Hey, Miss Messer. It's good to see your face again. I heard you were back. How have you been?", Sid asked, cheerfully.**

" **Alright, I guess. Hey, anything on our Jane Doe?", she asked, casually.**

" **Oh. Right, her. Yes, there was", he replied, walking over to her body. She was a leaner woman, she had some muscles, which said that she didn't starve herself. She was a very pretty woman, with light brown hair and green eyes. Emerald green eyes. **

**Sid pulled his report and studied it for a minute. " Oh, yes. Here it is. I checked for sexual assault. Nothing. But, you might want to take a look at this", he instructed. He showed her the portion of the report that he wanted her to read. **

**She did read it, and was shocked. Instantly, her hand went to her stomach when she read it. " She was pregnant?", Nikki asked, shocked. Her hand was still pressed protectively to her stomach.**

" **Yes. About eight weeks", Sid replied, noting the protective hand on Nikki's stomach.**

" **Do we have a name on her yet?", Nikki asked, quietly.**

" **No, not yet. There's no ring, and no proof that there ever was a ring. So, my guess is that she's not married. A single pregnant woman murdered in the streets of New York. That's just horrible", Sid replied.**

" **Yes, it is. I will find this woman's killer, that's just disgusting. He doesn't deserve to live for killing an innocent woman and her baby. Do you know who the father is yet?", Nikki asked, hopefully.**

" **Not yet, but I did send DNA from the fetus to the lab for examination. I hope it helps", Sid replied, handing her the report.**

" **Thanks, Sid", Nikki smiled, and then walked away. She had some evidence to look over.**

**Don mulled over everything that had happened last night and kept wondering if he should have been a little more understanding, instead of angry and shocked. He shouldn't have burst out at her like that, now he felt terrible. **

**Seeing her eyes this morning hadn't helped any. She had looked so vulnerable he had wanted to take her in his arms make sure nothing ever happened to her or the baby. The baby. Her baby. His baby. Their baby.**

**He was in awe now. His hand had ran over her stomach that had been so flat just those few short months ago and now wasn't. He had felt that very small but distinct bump. He couldn't even relate how he had felt when she had said that the baby wasn't that Agent Hotchner's.**

**Then, the shock that had washed over him when she had said that the baby was his. He had felt disbelief and hurt at the thought that she could lie like that, and that's why he had chased her to the door and shut it so hard.**

**After she had ran, he had sat on his couch and thought about the one and only time he had made love to her. He knew that he hadn't used protection, and apparently neither had she. And the realization struck him like a blow to the stomach.**

**He had felt awful and had tossed and turned for the remainder of the night. The fact that he had hurt her didn't sit well with him. And, then this morning when she ran into him. He hadn't been paying attention, but when she smacked into him and he felt her hands on his chest, it brought him up short.**

**He had looked into her eyes, and they had been red-rimmed. She was wearing a face of pure pain and hurt. It had torn at his heart and he felt it worse when he had seen the tears well up in her eyes. That had torn him straight to the bone.**

**She had ran from him like he was the devil himself. He felt rotten, like a complete ass. And worse. God, he wished he could turn back time. He would change it around. The question was, what was he supposed to do now?**

**He had a feeling that she would never speak to him again. That thought didn't sit well with him. He needed to make her understand. He would tell her that he cared deeply, for her and the baby. She may never ever speak to him again, but he had to try.**

**He looked through the glass window and seen Nikki standing at the lab desk. Mulling over pictures, and looking through files. She had a determined set to herself, almost a cold look in the way she held herself.**

**Still, the picture she made was very beautiful, and he couldn't help to notice the stubborn set of her jaw. His gaze dropped to her abdomen, and he felt pride in knowing that his child grew there.**

**He was working with her on that Jane Doe case, so he decided she couldn't ignore him on business. He boldly walked into the room, and felt before seeing her back go ramrod straight. He knew that she knew that he was in the room. He stopped.**

" **You took a few steps in, you might as well come all the way in", her voice was filled with a cold feeling and a challenge.**

**She didn't turn around to face him, just kept staring at the photos as if waiting for them to talk to her.**

" **Well, I've got bad news. I have no idea who she is. I've looked through every missing persons report and I can't find her. I'm sorry", he started. He deliberately told her that he was sorry, hoping she'd catch the double meaning, and forgive him.**

**She caught the double meaning in his words, and she looked away towards a wall. " Is that so?", she asked, a little colder than she had intended, but she'd be damned if she apologized for it.**

**He caught the coldness in her voice and he winced visibly. He should go to Mac and get himself pulled from the case, it would be the best. He didn't want her to hate him, but this clearly wasn't helping any.**

" **Yes, it is. I'll leave to your work now", he replied, and started towards the door.**

" **Jane Doe was pregnant, Flack. Eight weeks. Someone killed a pregnant woman, and that doesn't sit well with me. I hate this man, he had no right to end that innocent life, or lives I should. No right at all. How the hell is that fair?", Nikki replied, angrily. She didn't mean for the outburst to happen, but for some reason, she didn't want Don to go.**

" **We'll find him, Nikki. I promise", Don replied, soothingly, then walked out the door. **

_**I'm terribly sorry for not updating any sooner. I have been very busy and very very tired at night. I haven't had any time to write. I hope this helps for a little while. I'll update as soon as I can. Enjoy!!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Hurt**

**Don had no idea how he was going to find the killer if he couldn't even find the goddamn woman. He had no idea why he'd said what he said, but it wasn't like she was hanging onto every word he anyway.**

**He'd gotten himself into some trouble before, but this surpassed every other bit of trouble he'd ever been into. This was just horrible. He frowned deeply at his computer.**

" **What are you frowning so deeply for?", Danny asked.**

**Don just looked up at him and replied, " Well, I can't find the Jane Doe me and your sister got stuck on. It's a no win situation. I can't find her. Nothing, not even a missing persons report. How does that happen?"**

" **My sister must be giving you a hell of a time then", Danny murmured. He knew something was wrong and he was determined to figure out what.**

" **Yes, she is", Don grumbled, then dropped his head into his hands.**

**Danny couldn't help but notice his friend's obvious misery. Nikki was really giving Don a hard time over something, and he needed to figure it out fast because it looked as though Don was about to fall apart.**

" **Don, I couldn't help but notice the confrontation that happened between you and Nikki this morning", Danny began.**

" **Yeah, hell of a situation I got myself into this time. I know, she looked distraught, I have to do something, I just don't know what", Don replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.**

" **First of all, what happened between the two of you?", Danny asked, he had an idea of what happened but he wanted to hear it from Don first.**

" **Do you feel like going for coffee? I really don't feel like stating my problems in front of co-workers", Don replied.**

**Danny nodded and they walked off to coffee. **

**Once they had their coffees, they headed away from the stand and started walking. **

" **Don, I know there's something going on, and I'll be damned if I'm the last one to know", Danny started.**

" **Okay, okay. Well, for one thing, I don't want you to get mad, but Nikki's… well, she's pregnant", Don replied, then bowed his head and waited for a response.**

**Danny just stood there. **_**So, he knows that much, but does he know he's the father?, **_**Danny thought. " Yes, Don, I know. She told me. And?", he replied, then sipped his coffee.**

" **And I'm the father", Don finished.**

" **Congrats, man", Danny smiled.**

**Don just stood there. He had told Danny that he was the father of an unborn baby his sister was carrying and he was congratulating him? He knew that Danny knew that Don loved her, but he didn't expect Danny to be so damn happy that Nikki was pregnant.**

**Danny's smile faltered and then he asked, " What?"**

" **That's the problem, I'm the father. Look, last night Nikki came to my apartment, she said something about not being able to sleep and my place was the only place she could think of. She'd had dreams about Jeremy coming back to get her. I soothed her and well, one thing led to another and I discovered her small, but distinct pregnancy bump. I asked her about it, she confirmed it, and then I asked if that FBI agent was the father, and he isn't. She told me it was mine, and I don't joke about that, so I thought she might've been lying. I kinda got mad and well things didn't go smoothly from then on. She left, crying, and I sat on my couch, and figured it out. She told me how far along she was, and I did the calculation and put in the fact that what happened that night was spontaneous, and neither of us was protected", Don explained.**

" **I'm the father", Don answered.**

" **I heard you the first time and I heard it earlier from Nikki", at Don's expression, he continued, " So, she's mad."**

" **Yes. She's mad, well, actually I think she skipped right past mad and straight to pissed off", Don replied.**

" **Oh, that explains the tears that were flowing this morning as she was running from you", Danny exclaimed.**

" **Tears?", Don asked.**

" **Yes. And what do you think about her being pregnant?", Danny replied.**

" **I love it. I just can't get around to telling her. I want to be with her, to see her during the whole pregnancy. I envy that Agent Hotchner. He got to see her through the first few months of pregnancy", Don answered.**

" **And why can't you tell her?", Danny inquired, ignoring the comment about Agent Hotchner.**

" **You should've seen her after she cleared the tears. The hurt has passed, I think. She had a cold air about her. I tried apologizing, but she ignored it", Don recalled, wincing again at the memory of the anger and coldness in her eyes and voice.**

**Danny noticed the wince and asked, " That bad, huh?"**

**Don just nodded and asked, " Is it always this hard?"**

" **What?", Danny replied.**

" **Love", Don answered.**

" **It depends. It gets better. You just need to apologize to her, tell her how you feel about the baby and her", Danny replied.**

" **She isn't likely to talk to me, you know. She's likely to throw stuff at me and call me a liar", Don muttered.**

" **Love has gotten through worse situations. This is just a test to see how strong your love is. Don, you can't just give up. That's not like you, and if you give up, I'll never let you forget it", Danny explained.**

**Don smiled at that. " I know you won't. This is my whole happiness we're talking about, though. If she rejects me, then what do I do?", Don asked.**

" **Never give up. And don't let your child grow up without a father", Danny suggested.**

" **I'll try. Thanks", Don smiled. He threw his cup in the garbage and headed back for the precinct, leaving Danny to stand there watching him go and praying that Nikki forgives him.**

**Nikki would not be forgiving anyone if she didn't find out who this woman was and who the father of the baby was. Absently, she caressed her stomach. Don. She had to stop thinking about him, but she couldn't.**

**It hurt to think about him. At the look in his eyes last night when she had told him that he was the father. She winced. That look was accusatory. It just screamed don't lie to me!! She knew it.**

**He thought she was lying. That hurt deep down. Hurting wasn't getting her anywhere, so she turned the hurt into anger. That was something she could deal with at least.**

**She glared at the pictures in front of her, searching for something, anything she'd missed. She felt like was losing control again, and she didn't like that. Another anger streak. She told herself to stop it, that it wasn't good for the baby.**

**She calmed herself and then packed up the photos with the rest of the evidence and left the lab. She wouldn't figure anything out glaring at pictures and giving herself a migraine so she decided to get a cup of tea.**

**Walking out into hallway made her reckless and she ran smack into someone. Her hands were on a man's chest and she recognized the suit. The man's hands were upon her arms, steadying her.**

**She didn't want to look up, but did anyway. Straight into eyes of clear crystal blue. She quickly swallowed and looked away. Life just want to have a laugh, did it? Well, Jocelyn wasn't laughing, but she was fuming.**

**Jocelyn snatched herself away from Don's chest and looked him straight in the eye with what she hoped looked like a glare. He hadn't let go of her arms yet, and she didn't want him to.**

**She fought the desire that swept over her, instead letting herself rage inside. How dare he do this to her? She had no place in her life for this. She would not allow her heart to break as it had last night.**

**She steeled herself against him and shrugged his hands off. Then she walked past him, ignoring the outstretched arm he held out to her. She wanted more than anything to run into those outstretched arms, but pride and her heart overran any desire to do it. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Questions Without Answers**

**Nikki missed him terribly, not only that, but she kept thinking of his face as she had walked away from that moment in the lab. He had looked hurt, ravaged. Her anger was taking its toll on him, as well. **

**Nikki thought herself a monster. How could she treat the father of her baby and the man she loved so horribly? She shuddered at the thought of the cold anger that had seeped its way into her conscience. **

**How wrong it was, indeed. That temper was taking its toll on her now. She felt pain, and hurt. As much as she didn't want to admit it to herself, she had hurt him as every bit as much as he had hurt her.**

**That little angry part of her screamed with glee at the raw pain on Don Flack's face, while the rest of her pained her deeply. Would he ever forgive her? How could she be so cruel? What could she do now?**

**She thought about going to him, apologizing for her outrageous behaviour. But, a little piece of her told her that he would never forgive her. As well as he shouldn't. She didn't deserve forgiveness for what she did.**

**A pain she had never known before seeped into her, causing tears to come to her eyes. How he must think her a monster. She drank the tea, but it did nothing to ease the unbearable loss inside of her.**

**She unconsciously put a hand to her abdomen, stroking softly. At least she still had a part of him. What she really wanted was all of him. She had come to New York to tell Don about her pregnancy, and that she loved him. Hoping that he would be pleased to see her, and want her. She had completely screwed up any chance of winning him over.**

**Ah, the messes she got herself into. The question remained, how exactly did she get herself out of this one? And, would he be able to forgive her for her foolish behaviour?**

**Don would let her have some time. She deserved it, after all. And time, he would definitely give her time. She needed to work through things. He had been so foolish to basically accuse her of lying. **

**He definitely wouldn't blame her if she never talked to him again. He knew that if he were her, he probably wouldn't. How could he be so cruel? She was pregnant with his child for goodness sakes. But, he kept reminding himself, he didn't know that.**

**He knew it gave him no excuse for thinking that she might be lying to him. Why would he even think that? How could he even think that? Maybe she truly was better off without him.**

**But, he wouldn't leave his child without a father. That was the one thing he was sure of. Even if she never forgave him, his child would need a father. He would not just let go. He vowed it.**

**He looked at the computer screen. He kept reviewing every missing report on a woman. But, he found nothing. How was that even possible? The woman was pregnant, how could someone not file a missing persons report? Especially the father of the baby.**

**He knew that if Nikki went missing while pregnant, he would search every corner of the Earth until he found her. He never truly realized his feelings until now. He knew he loved Nikki, he just didn't know how much. He couldn't just let her go. He refused to.**

**He could never give her up. Nor let her walk away. He would tell her of his true feelings. Don smiled to himself. Nikki would know that no matter how much she gave him the cold shoulder, he would always care about her.**

**Don searched through more reports, but no one had reported that specific woman missing. She definitely didn't look homeless, and she didn't look poor. Someone had to be missing her.**

**A boyfriend should notice it. He would say that a fiancé would notice but she didn't have a ring on, which led him to believe that either she had just broken up with a boyfriend, or she was single.**

**She was only two months pregnant after all, would she have known if she was pregnant? Maybe, that all depends on the woman. Maybe she didn't know. Since no one had reported her missing, either someone hasn't noticed that she's gone, or she had separated herself from whatever family she had.**

**He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger while trying to figure it all out. How was it possible for a woman, a pregnant one at that, to just go missing and no one notice?**

**Nikki was thinking the exact same thing as she walked back into the lab. Things were just not adding up. A woman stabbed, in an alleyway, pregnant. With no evidence to suggest that she had fought her attacker.**

**There was no skin under her fingernails, no dirt whatsoever. There were no defense wounds. How did someone stab another person and the victim not fight. Obviously she had ran from somewhere. But, once they followed the blood drops out into the street and lost them. **

**What the hell happened to this woman? Why didn't she fight? Maybe she knew her attacker, and wasn't expecting to be stabbed, so she didn't fight it. But, where had she come from then? There should be blood drops somewhere outside the alley. But there wasn't.**

**She wished someone would tell her what happened. They had looked at every piece of evidence. They had found nothing to suggest that there had been an attacker ever in that alleyway.**

**The blood drops were gravitational. They were spaced quite a bit apart, which would suggest running. So, she had ran from her attacker. That much was clear. Blood loss was what had killed her since the wound had punctured the spleen. **

**How do you kill someone and not leave a piece of yourself behind? Nikki stood glaring down at the pictures on her desk. Something was missing, something she couldn't quite put a finger on just yet.**

**That really put a damper on things. It was like trying to find a straw-coloured needle in a haystack. Damn nearly impossible. But, not so impossible that there is zero chance of finding it. All you need is to prick your finger. Now, how would she do that?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Tired**

**Don walked into the lab the next morning with no better news than he had the day before. He thought maybe if him and Nikki worked together, they would be able to find an answer together rather than apart.**

**She was standing in the lab staring down at the crime scene photos once more. She was obviously hoping for something, anything that would help the case. Don walked in and stopped. Suddenly he wasn't sure if it was such a good idea or not.**

**Nikki looked up at him, and he noticed the dark circles underneath her eyes. She looked tired and sad. " Hey", he greeted her.**

**She just looked at him for a few minutes, before asking, " Did you find out who she is?" She sounded worn out and tired.**

" **I'm so sorry, Nikki. I've looked through every single missing persons report, but I can't find anything on her. When did you get in?", he replied.**

" **Does it matter?", Nikki snapped, then slumped her shoulders in a helpless gesture. " I'm sorry, Don. I'm really tired. I never left last night. Except maybe for tea every once and awhile." She smiled weakly. Don thought that it was the most beautiful smile he had seen since before she had told him she was pregnant.**

" **You should sleep. Staying awake isn't good for the baby, you know", he scolded.**

**She looked at him in surprise. " How would you know that?", she asked, shocked.**

" **I did a little reading. Nikki, if I'm gonna be a father, I think it would be best if I knew something about pregnancy and how to take care if you if needed", he answered, with a smile on his face.**

" **Why would you do that?", Nikki asked, awed by his concern.**

" **Because I know nothing about pregnancy, and you're carrying my child", he answered too quickly. That statement took Nikki by surprise before she got angry that he had cared for the child before her. She would've liked to know that he cared about her.**

**Don instantly realized he had said the wrong thing because he saw the visible stiffening of Nikki's back and the hardened expression on her face. She had started opening up to him, and he ruined it. Don inwardly cursed himself.**

" **I'm-", Don didn't get a chance to finish.**

" **Did you find anything else out?", Nikki asked, rather coldly.**

" **No", he answered simply.**

**Nikki didn't reply to that, instead turning around and looking down at the pictures again. **

" **Is there anything I can do to help?", Don asked.**

" **No, Detective. I think you've done enough, thank you", Nikki replied without turning around. Don flinched at being called " Detective", he had indeed ruined it. Why was it so hard to tell her how he felt?**

**Don turned and left, feeling the frustration at himself for not telling her and pain for the way she stiffened when she had just started looking a little happier at the moment.**

**Nikki looked back down at the pictures with a glare so hot she was sure that the pictures would spontaneously combust. They didn't, but she felt like she would. She needed a long sleep. She put the photos away and headed for her office.**

" **Nikki, wake up. Come on, Nikki, wake up", Danny coaxed to her.**

**Nikki opened her eyes a pinch and then flicked his hand away. " Go away, Danny. I'm sleeping", Nikki mumbled.**

" **I know. Come on. You want me to take you home so you can sleep properly?", Danny replied.**

" **Mmm", Nikki mumbled.**

" **Come on, Nikki. You can't get proper sleep here. It's not good for you or the baby. Let me take you home to a nice warm bed", Danny coaxed.**

" **What time is it?", Nikki half-sighed, half-mumbled sleepily.**

" **A little after four in the afternoon", Danny answered.**

" **Hmm. I slept a long time", Nikki stated.**

" **Yes, you did. In this chair. It's not good. Come on", Danny said, tugging Nikki a little.**

" **I'm coming, Danny. Hold on", Nikki groaned. She was feeling it in her neck now.**

" **Did you even sleep last night?", Danny asked.**

" **Nope, not at all. The case was bugging me, and I just couldn't go home and let this woman's killer go free", Nikki answered.**

" **You have a child to think about now. You can't run yourself into the ground for this", Danny stated.**

" **I know", she replied. He could see her helplessness and her sadness. He knew she wanted to do the right thing, but stress was not good for the baby. A mistake Danny had made once already, he wasn't about to let his sister do it too.**

" **I know you want to catch the killer. I understand that. The victim was a woman-", Danny started, but got cut off.**

" **She was pregnant", Nikki replied.**

**Danny just stared at her. " Pregnant?", he asked.**

**Nikki nodded. " Eight weeks. She was pregnant, Danny. That son-of-a-bitch killed a woman and her child. That's why I'm running myself into the ground", Nikki answered.**

" **But still, Nikki. Losing your child isn't going to solve the case. You need to focus. More importantly, you need food, tea, and then bed for the night. You are not to come in until morning, understand?", Danny asked, serious.**

" **Yes, sir", Nikki smiled, making a salute.**

**They both laughed before heading out of her office. He took her home and left her to rest up.**

**Nikki made herself a sandwich, and had that with tea. As she ate, she felt an interesting twinge in her stomach. She shook it off, and ate up. She then had a shower and went to watch T.V. She watched a movie before falling asleep with the television still on.**

**It was a stab of pain that brought Nikki up short. It shot through her lower abdomen like wildfire. She groaned to herself, and put her hand to her stomach. The baby.**

**As she started to panic, more pain shot through her, almost unbearable. She reached blindly for the phone and found it. She then phoned 911, and they sent an ambulance. The last conscious thing Nikki remembered thinking was of Don and the baby, and then she passed out from the pain. **

_**I just wanted to apologize in advance if I don't update very quickly. Of course school started, and the teachers like homework, or at least one of them does. I will try to update when i get the chance, so if you don't see an update for two weeks or so, don't panic. I love this story too. Remember, R&R, I love to read your comments.**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: The Baby**

**Danny ran into the hospital without a thought but for his sister and her baby. He knew that he should have taken her home earlier in the day when he had spotted her in her office, sound asleep. But, he didn't, and now there would be hell to pay.**

**He ran up to the desk and hit the bell a few times. A woman came to the desk.**

" **Can I help you, sir?", she asked.**

" **Yes. Nicole Messer. She was brought in an hour or so ago", Danny answered.**

**The woman typed the name into the computer and then looked up at him. " She's in surgery right now. May I ask your name?", she asked.**

" **Daniel Messer. I'm her brother", he answered gruffly.**

" **Ok, Mr. Messer. If you'll wait in the waiting room for a little bit, the doctor will update you soon", she replied.**

" **Thanks", he mumbled, then turned for the waiting room.**

**Lindsay and Stella showed up about a half an hour later. When Danny seen her, he stood up and walked over to her. **

" **Is Nikki going to be ok?", Lindsay asked, as she was wrapped into a hug.**

" **I don't know. The doctor hasn't come out yet. She's in surgery", Danny answered into her neck.**

" **It's okay. I'm sure she'll be fine", Lindsay soothed. She could feel Danny's fine trembling, and she knew that he was scared. **

" **Where's Don?", Danny asked, pulling away from Lindsay.**

" **We thought that you called him", Lindsay and Stella answered together.**

" **You mean no one's told Don yet?", Danny asked.**

**Lindsay and Stella looked at each other. " We weren't sure if we should", Stella answered.**

" **Wonderful. Just great. Nikki's in there, possibly losing that baby, and the father doesn't even know", Danny replied.**

" **We would've. But, Danny, maybe you should", Lindsay suggested.**

" **Why me?", Danny asked, shocked.**

" **You know him better", they answered in unison.**

" **Thanks. Leave the dirty work to me, right?", Danny replied. " It's ok, I'll get to it, right now. He deserves to know. Even if Nikki's pissed, he has a right." And then Danny took off to go phone Don.**

" **She's what?!", Don yelled.**

" **She's in the hospital, Don", Danny replied.**

" **What happened?", Don demanded. Don felt his heartbeat start to accelerate at the thought of harm coming to Nikki.**

" **Something to do with the baby, Don. It's not good", Danny answered.**

**Don felt panic start to seize him. " The baby?", he asked.**

" **Yeah. I don't know all the details. The doctor hasn't come out yet", Danny replied.**

" **Which hospital? I'll be there as soon as I can", Don replied.**

" **Mercy General", Danny answered.**

" **I'll be there", Don replied. Then he hung up.**

**Don felt the strains of panic and fear start to creep all through him. He couldn't lose Nikki. Or the baby. He never realized until that moment just how much he wanted that baby with Nikki.**

**It scared him to realize that he could just lose both of them in a heartbeat. If she lost the baby, Don would lose his connection with Nikki, and he didn't want that. He got up and grabbed his keys, then headed for Mercy General.**

**Danny waited outside of Mercy General for Don and hoped to God that Nikki didn't lose that baby. Nikki might not admit out loud, but he knew that what Nikki had always wanted was a family. **

**He seen Don walking towards the entrance to the hospital and wondered exactly how fast Don drove. They greeted each other before Don asked, " How is she?"**

" **I don't know. I haven't been back up there since I phoned you. Stell and Lindsay are up there, let's go find out", Danny replied.**

**They got up to the waiting room and the women were still there, talking quietly it looked like.**

**The guys walked over and greeted them.**

" **Any word?", Don asked.**

" **Not one. Still in surgery, though. That's about it", Stella answered.**

**Don sat down in the chair and breathed deeply. At least she was still in surgery. That was enough. Stella, Lindsay, and Danny all sat down beside him and didn't say a word.**

**Another hour went by before a doctor walked into the room. He walked straight up to the group and looked at them wearily. " Mr. Messer?", the doctor began.**

**Danny stood up and so did the other three. " Yes. That's me", Danny announced.**

" **Come with me", the doctor told them. They followed him out into the hall.**

**The doctor stopped and turned around. " Who are the rest of you?", he asked.**

" **Doctor, this is my wife, Lindsay, my friend Stella, and my sister's baby's father, Don", Danny announced.**

" **Oh. Okay. Well, first of all, my name is Dr. Williamson. It's nice to meet you all", the doctor started.**

" **About my sister?", Danny asked.**

" **Yes, she was brought in, unconscious. On the phone she had said something about pain in her lower abdomen. After some examination, we concluded that she was going to miscarry", the doctor explained.**

" **Yes, yes. We figured that out. Is she alright?", Danny interrupted.**

" **She is, yes. And, so is the baby. We were able to prevent her from miscarrying. She's in recovery right now, still out of it from the anaesthesia. She should remain that way for the next couple of hours", the doctor concluded.**

" **Can we see her?", Don asked.**

" **Yes. One at a time, though. Who would like to see her first?", the doctor asked.**

**Everyone looked at Don. He looked at everyone else. **

" **Danny, you can go first. I'll go after", Don suggested.**

" **No. Don, you go first. You need to. Baby's father before uncle. It's okay", Danny replied.**

**Don looked at him and Danny nodded. Then Don turned to the doctor and said, " I guess I'm up."**

**The doctor nodded and led him to the recovery room. They walked up to her bed, where Nikki was laying there sleeping.**

" **We have her on watch for the next twenty-four hours", the doctor said.**

" **Why?", Don asked, looking at Nikki.**

" **We might have stopped this miscarriage, but another one could start up. Right now, she's under special care of the nurses for the next twenty-four hours before we can move her to a separate room", Dr. Williamson explained.**

" **Okay. Thanks", Don replied as he moved to the bed.**

" **I'll leave you two now", the doctor replied, turning to leave.**

**Don stared down at the sleeping woman and was brought back to after Jeremy had kidnapped her. He had stood there beside her bed and watched her. This time, she had no bruises on her face and no cuts on her hands.**

**Her right hand was placed over her abdomen in an almost protective gesture. He took her left hand and kissed it. Then he leaned down to her forehead and kissed her there. " I'll be right here, Nikki. I won't let go", Don whispered. Then he pulled up a chair and sat there with her left hand is his. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Stress Levels Rise**

**Don watched the woman he loved lay there in that bed, under constant supervision, and not moving one muscle. Her chest was still moving up and down in a slow steady rhythm, but it was moving. He could hear her heartbeat monitor beeping on the other side of the bed.**

_**Beep, beep, beep.**_** It was the only sound keeping him there. Sane. He realized just how close to losing the baby she had come, and tears started slipping down his cheeks. He cried beside her, not even caring if she heard him or not. **

**Danny knocked gently on the door, and poked his head inside.**

" **Can I come and see my little sister now?", Danny asked.**

" **Yeah, sure. I'm going to go get a coffee. If she wakes, tell her I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere", Don replied, getting out of the chair.**

" **Of course. Oh and by the way, Dr. Williamson wants to talk to you", Danny told him.**

" **Sure. I'll go find him now", Don said sleepily. Then he closed the door. **

**Danny walked over to the side of the bed and looked down at his sister. Her right hand was lying still over her abdomen. He smiled, even unconscious she protected the child that she so badly wanted but wouldn't admit to anyone.**

**He sat down in the chair that Don had just abandoned, and leaned close to her.**

" **I know that you want this baby, even if you won't admit it. I know you're stubborn, but this time, I'm going to protect you like I always have. I'm here for you, sis, you need to know that", he said to her.**

**Then he sat down and waited. Don needed to rest and relax because he was about to take on a pregnant woman who worked to keep herself busy and would keep working until she dropped, and she did drop.**

**Don searched the floor until he heard the doctor's familiar voice behind him say, " Ah, Detective Flack. I've been looking for you."**

**Don turned around, and answered, " Yes?"**

" **Ok, it's about Miss Messer. She came really close to losing that baby. Does she have a lot of stress in her job?", Dr. Williamson asked.**

" **Yes. She's a CSI. Recently, she's been working a case that she's kinda taken personal. We've had no leads and she's been working herself into the ground for about two days now. It's been really hard", Don replied, " I knew there was something wrong. I could feel it. I didn't act on those feelings, or how she looked."**

" **Don't blame yourself. Although, my advice for her is to stay home for the next two weeks or so. Try to keep the stress level down to a minimum. It'll help. If she starts to get any pains in the lower abdomen, bring her in immediately", Dr. Williamson ordered.**

" **Wait. Dr., I don't live with her. We aren't even together", Don protested.**

" **You are the baby's father, correct?", Dr. Williamson asked.**

" **Yes, but we aren't together. We were never together. But I am the baby's father", Don replied, pride clearly evident in his voice.**

" **So, Miss Messer lives alone? Right now? Does she have someone to stay with?", Dr. Williamson asked.**

" **I suppose she could stay with me. The problem is getting her to agree to that", Don answered, frowning, " I suppose if she won't stay with me, her brother and his wife would certainly lend her help." **

" **Excellent. Just be careful, all this stress has put the baby at a tremendous risk. Miss Messer needs to be kept away from as much stress as possible", Dr. Williamson explained. Then he frowned for a moment. **

" **Is there something else Doc?", Don asked.**

" **No, nothing else. Call me if anything changes", the doctor said before turning to walk away.**

**Don stared after Dr. Williamson for a few moments before turning to go get coffee. He needed it right now.**

**An hour later, Danny was still sitting by his sisters' bedside. He watched her as if expecting her to fade away any second now. She looked peaceful, but he knew that she probably felt anything besides peaceful.**

**He seen a flickering and sat up. Her eyes had just flickered. She was coming around. She moaned. Then her eyes opened wide and she looked around. She found Danny by her bedside and then confusion clouded her eyes. **

" **Danny? Where am I?", she asked, her voice soft.**

" **The hospital", he answered.**

**Her eyes widened in fear and then her left hand flew to her stomach.**

" **Yes, the baby. Nikki, you almost miscarried. Do you know how close you were? When the hospital called me, I was so worried. How could you be so foolish as to work yourself into the ground? Didn't you know that stress is dangerous for the baby? How could you not have known?", he practically yelled.**

**She just stared at him. Her eyes were still wide and her hands were still placed protectively over her stomach. " The case…", she started, but got cut off.**

" **I don't give a damn about the case. It's your health you should be worried about. That baby nearly died, you could've died. Do you honestly not want this baby? You might as well as had an abortion if that's the case", he raved on. " I can't believe you'd be so foolish, Nikki, I just can't." His voice had softened a little bit and she knew he was done.**

" **I'm sorry", she whispered, feeling that if she talked, he would yell at her again.**

" **You're sorry? Do you know what Don's been like? How worried he was? I don't think you do. Sorry isn't going to cut it this time, Nikki", he replied. There was anger in his eyes, and she knew that he was completely pissed off. He wouldn't forgive her for awhile.**

" **Don? He's been here? He knows about this?", she asked, shocked.**

" **Yes. Nikki, he's the father of your unborn child, I think he deserves to know when you nearly have a miscarriage, and why. Do you know what you put him through? Of course you don't, how could you?", he asked, almost yelling again.**

" **Are you finished yet?", Nikki asked, actually frightened.**

**Danny finally looked down at his sister. He saw the frightened look in her eyes and sighed. " I'm sorry. You scared me, that's all. However, Don, he was scared to death. Worried, about you", Danny explained.**

**Nikki did something that sounded like a snort. " Sure he does. The only reason he's still hanging around is because I'm pregnant. With his kid", Nikki sighed.**

" **I don't think so. Look, you can't keep stressing yourself out like that. It's dangerous", Danny pleaded with her.**

" **Where is Don? Is he here?", Nikki asked, urgently.**

" **Yeah, he's **_**still**_** here, actually. He hasn't left. He waited as long as he could for you to wake up, but I took over", Danny answered, " Did you want me to go find him?"**

" **Would you?", Nikki asked, pleading.**

**Danny stood up. " Of course, I will", he replied, as he bent down and kissed her forehead.**

**Then Danny left and Nikki sighed. She felt relieved to know that Don had cared enough to stay while she was there. And he sat beside her bed and watched her. Somehow, Nikki felt even safer knowing he had been there.**

**Danny looked around the hospital. He even went outside, then he remembered that Don wanted to get a coffee to keep himself awake. That was where he would be. Probably in the waiting room nursing a cup of bad coffee. Danny smiled to himself.**

**Danny walked into the waiting room, and sure enough, Don was sitting there beside Lindsay nursing a cup of coffee. He wondered if that was his first cup or second. He walked over to Don.**

" **I hope you're finished that cup of bad coffee you have there", Danny said.**

" **Yeah, I am. Wait, why?", Don asked a silent question with his eyes which Danny answered with a nod.**

" **She's awake?", Don asked.**

" **Yes, and she's asked for you", Danny replied.**

**Don got up and started walked towards the hallway that led to her room. He felt relieved to know that once she knew he was there, or even if she didn't know at first, that she had asked for him.**

**He gently knocked on the door and he heard her say something that must have been a yes to come in. He gently opened the door and peaked inside. She was still laying down. He still had to tell her what the doctor said, she wasn't going to be happy about that.**

" **Hey", Don greeted her, " How are you feeling?"**

**She looked at him, and he stepped in the room. He closed the door behind him, and walked towards the edge of the bed. All the while, Nikki kept watching him, just watching.**

" **Nikki?", he asked.**

**She blinked. " Don, you're here", she breathed.**

" **Of course I'm here. Why wouldn't I be?", he asked.**

" **Well, for one, the way I've treated you. Danny surprised me when he said that you were here. I felt shocked", Nikki confessed.**

" **Why? You didn't think I would leave you by yourself, did you? Did you think I would abandon you?", he asked, shocked.**

**Nikki blushed and turned away from him. She knew he was referring to over four months ago when she had left. She knew he would be angry about that, and she didn't blame him. " If you want to yell, go ahead. I'm all ears. It's not like it hasn't happened already", Nikki replied, miserably.**

**Don looked down at her. She looked horrible, broken. He didn't understand why she would think that he would yell at her. " Nikki, I'm not going to yell at you. Why would I do that?", Don asked, calmly. " I don't have a reason to yell at you."**

" **Are you sure? I think leaving you would be a good reason to yell. I mean, didn't I technically **_**abandon**_** you?", Nikki asked, tears forming in her eyes.**

" **No, I don't think that you abandoned me. And, I would never, ever abandon you", Don told her. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: A Change of Luck**

**Nikki looked at him, she had tears in her eyes, and he felt something in his heart twinge. **

"**Look, Nikki. The doctor told me some news. I'm afraid you won't like it. I know how you like to work just to have something to do and I know that this case that's been going on has kinda gotten personal. The doctor said that you should stay home for a few weeks, and just let the stress go away", Don explained.**

"**I can't do that, Don. I need to find that woman's killer. I can't just let him walk away", she practically cried.**

**Don leaned close to her and took her hand in his. She looked away. "Nikki, look at me", Don said. She did. **

"**I won't let him get away. Neither is the team. That case is the top priority right now. We aren't gonna let him walk away. I won't let it happen", he said. He kissed her forehead and stood up.**

**He was gonna leave, but Nikki's hand grabbing his stopped him. He turned around. **

"**What is it?", he asked softly.**

" **Will you stay with me? Just for a little longer?", she asked.**

" **Of course", he answered, then sat down.**

" **So, I have to stay home for a few weeks?", she asked casually.**

" **Well, not exactly. The doctor told me to keep you home. I told him that we aren't living together or anything, but he said that you shouldn't be alone", Don explained.**

" **He thought that we're together?", she asked, amused.**

**Don didn't know what she found so amusing, it wasn't exactly funny. The fact that she found it amusing hurt him more than anything. **

" **Yeah, well, I am the father, so naturally he assumed that we were a couple", he replied. He couldn't seem to control the anger that had laced into his voice.**

**She heard a note in his voice that could have been anger or hurt, but Nikki couldn't tell and she didn't really want to analyze it too much.**

" **I see. So, I'm not supposed to be alone right?", Nikki asked, in a soft voice. The anger that she was sure she had heard in his voice made her sad.**

" **Yeah. I already asked Lindsay if it would be okay for you to stay with her and Danny, she said that they would love to have you there", he replied. The anger was still there in his voice and he couldn't seem to get a good hold on it.**

**She was shocked that he would ask them before asking her if she wanted to stay with him. Obviously, he didn't care. Danny was wrong. He didn't care. Now she felt hurt and angry.**

" **That's just wonderful, Don. I'd love to stay there. Now if you wouldn't mind, I feel suddenly very tired and I want to sleep", she replied, turning on her side so that her back was to him. **_**The nerve of some people**_**, Nikki thought. She couldn't help but let the few tears she had slip down her cheeks.**

**Don stared at her back. She had sounded way too sweet, which meant she was mad. He couldn't think of what she would be mad at. She had almost sounded cold by the time she had finished telling him basically if she was mad, to get the hell out of her room. He wanted nothing more than to cuddle up beside her and watch her sleep, but he knew she would never allow it.**

**Don got up and sighed. He left her with just one more look over his shoulder before closing the door. He had a case to close.**

**Don sat at his desk, looking through more missing persons files. He hoped that she would show up sometime in one of these. Someone had to care for her. That thought brought Don back to Nikki. Someone did care for her…him. **

**The next woman that came up in the files brought Don up short. He took the picture of the dead woman and held it up against the screen. It was a match. Don immediately printed her file. **

**He read through it and then headed over to see Mac. They finally had an identity. If only Nikki was here to witness it. He would tell her. Although right now he was sure talking to him was the last thing she wanted to do.**

**Don ran to catch up to Mac. " Hey. Mac. I've got an identity on the Jane Doe case that me and Nikki were working on", Don said.**

**Mac stopped and turned around. Don caught up to him. " A positive I.D.?", Mac asked.**

" **Yes", Don answered.**

" **What's her name?", Mac asked.**

" **Kyla Jenkins. She's 23 years old and lives in Brooklyn", Don replied.**

" **Who reported her missing?", Mac wondered.**

" **Her boyfriend, Alexander Cates. He just reported her missing this morning. He said that she was supposed to be going to her parents' house, but apparently didn't show up. She was supposed to be gone for only a couple of days. He couldn't get a hold of her on her cell phone and he got worried", Don answered.**

" **You going to pick him up?", Mac asked.**

" **I was gonna go ask him a couple of questions. I wonder if he knew she was pregnant", Don mumbled.**

" **My guess is, he probably didn't know. She was only early on in the pregnancy herself, maybe she didn't even know", Mac replied.**

" **You really think that maybe he didn't know? I mean, maybe he killed her", Don stated.**

" **For what? Why would he kill her? For finding out she was pregnant? I would have to say that maybe we should put him in a mental facility if that's the reason why", Mac replied.**

" **What if she told him and he knew the baby wasn't his?", Don asked.**

" **I guess he could've killed her for that. Crueller things have happened", Mac answered. " I'll kill him myself if that's the reason."**

" **I'll join you. I should tell Nikki the news, she'd want to know that we now have a name for our Jane Doe. The least I can do is keep her informed", Don said.**

" **Isn't she supposed to be staying away from stress?", Mac asked. His eyebrows rose. Don could feel that somehow Mac was assessing him and he didn't like it.**

" **Yes, Mac. She is. She'd still want to be kept informed on the progress, though", Don answered.**

" **I hope to God you know what you're doing, Don. She's supposed to stay away from stress. It shouldn't matter if she wants to know or not. It would be stress and that's not good for the baby or her. She may end up mad because of it, but she'll still be healthy and that's what matters", Mac replied. Then without waiting for a reply, Mac turned and left. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: A Possible Suspect**

**After thinking about it, Don decided that Mac was right. Nikki's health was what mattered most right now. She would be royally pissed, but the baby needed to be kept safe.  
**

**He headed over to the address of Alexander Cates, Kyla Jenkins' boyfriend. He had a few questions for Alexander, and one that mattered most. Although Don was sure he wasn't gonna just ask a potential killer if he knew his girlfriend was pregnant, he would find a way to find out if he knew.**

**Don stood staring up at the apartment complex that Alexander lived in. It wasn't in a bad part of Brooklyn. The street, at least, looked decent. Mostly. The apartment complex itself wasn't shabby. It was red brick, like most of apartment complexes around. And about twenty-five floors. **

**Alexander's apartment was on the 17****th****. Don stood staring at the door for a few minutes before knocking. **

**A man about Don's height and build opened the door. He had sandy black hair and eyes that were so blue, they were almost silver. **_**Overall, he's not a bad looking guy, although the eyes are just a little creepy**_**, Don thought.**

"**May I help you?", the man asked. **

**Don took out his badge and held it up. **

" **Detective Don Flack. N.Y.P.D. Are you Alexander Cates?", Don asked.**

" **Yes, I am. Police, right?", Alexander confirmed.**

" **Yeah. You reported a Kyla Jenkins missing, is that right?", Don asked.**

**Alexander nodded.**

" **Can I come in?", Don asked. This was gonna be hard, Don knew it. He had a feeling Alexander wouldn't take this very well.**

**Again, Alexander nodded and moved aside. He closed the door behind him and offered Don a seat. **

**After they had been seated, it was quiet for a few minutes. Don noted that Alexander was trembling.**

" **She's dead, isn't she?", Cates asked.**

"**Yeah. We found her body about a week and a half ago. It took you that long to notice that your girlfriend was missing?", Don asked. Don measured Cates' reaction to the news, but he didn't seem to have any. Any person who didn't cry when they found a person they cared about was killed, was automatically a suspect on Don's list.**

" **I've been very busy. Kyla left about a week and a half ago to stay at her parents' house for a few days. Her mom wasn't doing so well", Alexander replied.**

" **How long have you two been dating?", Don asked.**

" **Three years", Alexander answered. " Am I a suspect?"**

**Don raised his eyebrows. **

" **Is there a reason you might think you're a suspect?", Don asked casually. **

" **No. I didn't kill her. I loved her, a lot. She was a great woman. She loved animals and children. She wanted four kids. She wasn't racist, she loved same-sex couples. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with them. She never did anything wrong", Alexander paused, " Or, at least, not that I know of."**

" **So she didn't have any enemies?", Don questioned.**

" **Not as far as I know. Like I said, Detective, she was a great person", Alexander replied.**

" **Did she ever keep secrets from you?", Don asked. He definitely needed to know if Alex knew that Kyla was pregnant or not.**

" **What sort of secrets, Detective?", Cates replied.**

" **I don't know. Did you ever find out anything that she hadn't told you? From other sources, maybe? Doctors? Lawyers? Friends?", Don answered.**

" **Is there something that you know that you aren't telling me, Detective?", Alex replied.**

" **Maybe there is. Tell me, did you ever planning on asking her to marry you?", Don asked.**

**This time, there was a reaction. Cates' eyes turned sad and hurt. He looked like he was grieving now. **

" **I did. As soon as she got back from her parents' house. Which should have been four days ago. I kept trying to call her, but I wasn't getting an answer. I got wrapped up in work, but I kept trying to reach her. I got worried but I kept telling myself that there was probably just a delay. This morning I couldn't convince myself anymore and I went to the precinct and filed a missing persons report", Alex answered. He lowered his head into his hands.**

" **So you guys didn't fight before she left, right?", Don questioned.**

" **No. Not about anything. What would we possibly be fighting about, Detective? You asked if she kept secrets and whatnot, was there something she was keeping from me?", Alex asked. There was pain in his voice and his eyes.**

**Don decided to just ask the question and test Cates' reaction. **

" **Did you know Kyla was pregnant?", Don asked.**

**Alexander looked shocked. Honestly shocked. And surprised. Don could tell by his reaction that Cates didn't know, either that, or he did really well in drama class.**

" **P-pregnant?", Alex stammered.**

" **Yeah. About two months along. I take it you didn't know?", Don asked.**

" **No. She never told me. Do you think she knew and was keeping it from me?", Alex asked, his face was pale white and he looked hurt. Don knew how that felt.**

" **I have no idea, and we'll never be able to find out. Is it possible that it's yours?", Don asked. Now that he was pretty sure that Alexander didn't know about the baby, he hated to ask the hard questions. But, these things had to be done. **

" **I guess it's always possible. As far as I know, she was on the pill. Or at least I thought she was", Alex replied. He looked absolutely broken, exactly like someone who had been betrayed.**

" **You guys always used protection?", Don asked. That was one little mistake he had made, once, and the result was now inside the woman that he loved that he was **_**sure**_** hated him.**

" **Yeah. I guess. I actually really don't know. She's really gone isn't she?", Alex replied.**

" **Yeah. She is. I'm so sorry for your loss", Don paused pulled out a card and held it out for Alex. " If you can think of anything, anything at all, call me immediately." Alex took the card and nodded. Don left Alex to his grieving. He hated to give that kind of news to anyone, and then have him or her find out that the dead loved one had been keeping a secret.**

**He got back to the lab after swiping a paper cup that had been sitting on the table when Cates had answered the door. Don knew he had drank from it, because he had seen him do it just before he had asked to come inside. He delivered it to Adam and then headed out to find Mac. **

**Mac was just sitting in his office, staring at papers. Don knocked on the door. **

**Mac looked up. " Any luck with the boyfriend?", Mac asked.**

" **I don't think he's the killer. He didn't even know she was pregnant", Don answered, seating himself in the chair across from Mac.**

" **You're sure about that?", Mac asked.**

" **Either that or he was really good in drama class", Don answered, grinning.**

" **Okay, so you want to write the boyfriend off for this?", Mac asked.**

" **Not yet. Something about the way he acted when he actually guessed that she was dead, and I confirmed it. His reaction was absolutely nothing. Until later. I can't figure it out. Something's just not right, Mac. I can feel it", Don answered.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Relaxation... Or Not**

**Don pondered and pondered about what was missing, what was wrong about the situation. There was just something off, and Don could feel it. But, the strange thing was, he couldn't figure out where it was coming from.**

**He also had another question on his mind. Could he risk telling Nikki he knew who the victim was? He knew that she would want to be informed, but she needed to stay away from stress, not walk right back into it. He was so torn. **

**Several questions started running through his mind. Did Cates really not know about Kyla's pregnancy? Did Kyla even know? Was she really the great person Alexander claimed her to be? Was the child even his? The answers all seemed to scream, 'I don't know!'. **

**Don rubbed his throbbing temples and tried to concentrate. Nikki just seemed to keep taking over his mind. The fact that she had sounded so sweet and her eyes had been spitting fire told him just how angry she had been. Although every time he thought about it too much, he got a headache, but no answers.**

" **Umm.. Flack?", Adam said.**

**Don looked up.**

" **Yeah?", Don replied.**

" **I ran the DNA from the cup you got from Cates' house and the DNA from the unborn fetus. Well, you're gonna want to see this", Adam explained, handing Don the file.**

" **Who's Anthony Mason?", Don asked. Then reading it, added, " And, what does this have to do with my case?"**

**Don handed the file back to Adam who read it and then said, " Oops. Sorry. Wrong file." He took the other one he had been holding and handed it to Flack. " This is the right one, sorry."**

**Flack read the file and then murmured, " So he was the father."**

" **Yeah. Double checked just to make sure and he is, or was", Adam replied.**

" **Thanks, Adam", Don muttered. He got up and went to find Mac.**

" **So, what motive does he have now?", Don asked, laying the folder on Mac's desk.**

**Mac looked down at the open file and read it.**

" **He's the father. Okay, do you want to write him off now?", Mac asked.**

" **No. Not yet. I still have to figure out what the hell is going on. There's something I can't figure out. Okay, so the baby is his, or was. Anyways, supposedly, she was a really great person. She loved children and animals. She wasn't racist or against same-sex couples. She was a free spirit. Apparently, she tried to see the good in everyone. That could be very dangerous, and probably what got her killed", Don rambled on.**

" **Hold on. Don, relax", Mac coaxed him.**

" **Relax? I don't even know the meaning of the word. Besides, I need to find the killer. I can't let him go free", Don said.**

" **You're gonna work yourself into the ground, Don. I know you don't want to give up, but you need to take a break. You've been running non-stop all night and day. Get a cup of coffee, something to eat", Mac ordered calmly.**

**Don just looked at Mac. " You think Nikki would have let this guy run free? He killed a pregnant woman and her baby. I won't rest until he's caught", Don declared.**

" **That's exactly what put Nikki into the hospital. You can't do this. If you need a break, go see Nikki. It will probably make you feel better", Mac suggested.**

**Don turned and left, mumbling to himself all the way out. He was pretty sure it would be more relaxing here at the lab than at the hospital with the woman who hated him unconditionally.**

**Nikki awoke to feel eyes on her back. She rolled over pretending to stretch and opened here eyes very slightly. There was someone sitting beside her bed. She looked closer, it was Danny.**

" **Hey, sleepyhead. Time to wake up", Danny teased.**

**She rolled back over. " Go away, I'm sleeping", she mumbled.**

**Danny laughed. " No you're not. You're talking", he chuckled.**

" **I'm not now", Nikki mumbled, but started to laugh. She rolled back over to face him with a smile on her face.**

**His face straightened and he looked like he was trying to think.**

" **Danny, what's wrong?", Nikki asked.**

" **It's just… I'm trying to figure out the last time I seen you smile like that", Danny frowned.**

" **Smile like what?", Nikki asked, her smile now gone.**

" **Freely. Naturally. Smiled a real smile, one that reached your eyes. It's been a long time", Danny answered.**

" **Has it really been that long?", Nikki wondered.**

" **Yeah, with everything that's happened, I don't blame you, but it's nice to see a natural smile for once. Instead of the fake, plastered ones", Danny replied, making a face.**

" **I'm sorry", Nikki whispered. There were fresh tears swimming in her eyes and she turned her head so Danny wouldn't see them.**

" **What do you have to apologize for? It is not your fault that everything happened. It happened because it happened. None of us, or you, could've stopped it. Don't blame yourself", Danny replied.**

" **It's no one else's fault but my own that I am in here now, that I almost lost the baby", Nikki sobbed.**

" **No, you didn't know", Danny argued.**

" **But I should've. Danny, I ended up here because of me, my problems. I didn't even think about the stress that it might cause the baby, I was so selfish", Nikki whispered, lowering her head.**

" **That's not your fault. I understand the fact that between Don and wanting to find that woman's killer, you were distracted. The case was personal and then there's Don… well okay, let's leave that alone. But it's not your fault", Danny coaxed.**

**Don stood outside of her room in the hall listening to the whole conversation. She felt like it was her fault. He knew it wasn't. **_**I bet she just wishes she'd have stayed in Virginia**_**, Don thought.**

**He knocked on the door ever so gently.**

" **Come in", was Nikki's reply.**

**He opened the door just a little and peeked inside. He could see Nikki sitting there in the hospital bed, her eyes wide with shock, then anger. His eyes turned to Danny, who was sitting next to her with an unreadable expression on his face. Danny stood up. Nikki grabbed his hand and whispered, " Don't go."**

**Danny shook off her hand and left, patting Don's shoulder on the way out.**

**He watched Danny walk out and then turned his eyes to Nikki. **

" **You scared to be alone with me?", he joked.**

**She squared her shoulders and replied, " No."**

" **I was joking, but it's always nice to hear anyway", Don replied, his eyes no longer joking.**

" **What do you want, Don?", Nikki asked, her eyes tight.**

" **Now relax there, cheetah. Don't go getting yourself worked up over little old me. I just wanted to see how you were doing. I'm on a break and I thought I'd check in", Don answered.**

" **Wonderful. Well, as you can see, I'm fine. No need to worry yourself over little old me", Nikki nearly snarled.**

" **Great to see your in a great mood, Nikki. I have some great news", Don informed her.**

**That announcement shocked. She looked up at him, waiting for him to tell her the news. He wouldn't say anything.**

" **Okay… what great news?", Nikki asked, warily.**

" **Our Jane Doe now has a name", Don announced.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: A Declaration**

**Nikki sat silent for a moment. Then she asked, "A name?"**

**Don nodded.**

**Nikki waited. Finally, when he did not tell her, she snapped, "Well, are you gonna tell me or not?"**

"**I'm trying to decide. But, I guess it's too late now. Her name is Kyla Jenkins. She was 23 years old, and lived in Brooklyn. I just spoke to her boyfriend, Alex Cates. Seems like a nice enough guy, but I can't pin anything yet. Moreover, he's the father of her unborn child. There you have it, all the latest on our case", Don explained. He felt some relief in telling her everything he knew, he just worried about causing her stress.**

**Nikki nearly beamed at the thought that Don still considered it " their" case. She knew she would be taken off. Mac had no choice, she wouldn't be able to come in, and that saddened her. However, it was nice to know Don still cared enough to come and tell her what he knew.**

" **Nikki? You okay?", Don asked.**

**Nikki came out of her reverie and looked up at him. **

" **Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking. I know I'm supposed to be staying away from stress and I won't let this get to me, but thank you for updating me anyway. I hope you catch the guy who did this to her", Nikki replied.**

" **I will, Nikki. For Kyla and her baby", he whispered, then added, " And for you, too."**

**Nikki looked up at him and smiled. Don felt it all the way to his toes. He could remember the last time she smiled at him like that. It was before she had left, before Jeremy had come back. **

" **How long is your break?", Nikki asked.**

" **Another half an hour", Don answered. Then he said the only thing he could think of to say. " I'm so sorry, Nikki."**

**Nikki looked shocked.**

" **Why are you apologizing?", Nikki asked.**

" **For everything. Everything that's happened. All the fights we got into, getting mad at you, I could go on for hours. You don't deserve all of the stuff that's happened to you. For everything that's happened between you and me, I'm so sorry", Don explained.**

" **Everything that's happened between you and me?", Nikki countered.**

" **Yes, everything", Don replied, automatically.**

" **There are things I'm sorry for, Don. There really are, but there is one thing I'm not sorry for", she replied.**

" **What?", Don asked.**

" **Come here", was her reply.**

**He bent down to hear her and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. It wasn't a shy kiss, but passionate and full of life.**

**When she finally pulled back, both out of breath, Don looked at her and asked, " You don't regret kissing me?"**

**Nikki laughed and swatted his arm. " No, silly. I don't regret you and me together. I don't regret getting pregnant either, just so you know", Nikki replied.**

" **You don't?", Don asked, surprised.**

" **Nope, not at all. And I don't hate you either, despite what you may think. You're a great man, of course I get mad, but I don't hate you", she answered. And it was the truth. Nikki loved the guy more than anything, she couldn't possibly hate him.**

" **For everything I've said, I'm wrong. I care about you for you. Not just because you're carrying my child, that makes me love you more", he drifted off and then noticed her expression. " What?"**

" **Back up a bit. What did you just say?", Nikki asked. She couldn't believe she heard what she thought she heard.**

" **I said that I care about for you for you, and not just because you're carrying my child", Don repeated.**

" **After that", Nikki said.**

" **I said that you carrying my child only makes me", he realized what she was talking about and paused, then continued, " makes me love you more."**

" **You love me?", Nikki asked. Surprise rang clear in her voice as though she didn't expect it.**

" **Yes. Nikki, I do. I love you. I know I never said anything before, but I've never been able to find the time. And then I'd say something and get you mad. I've never been able to say the right thing", Don explained.**

" **Yes, right now is the perfect time for this, you know", Nikki smiled.**

" **I know, but you wanted to hear what I had said, so there you go. I love you, I love you, I love you", Don declared.**

**After hearing those words, Nikki started beaming. She was speechless. All that time and she had no idea, and for the third time in her life, she found no words to describe what she felt.**

" **Ok, now would be a good time to say something", Don said.**

" **I know, but I'm shocked. I mean I never expected you to love me. I just feel so happy, there are no words to describe it. I just, I had thought that you regretted what happened that night, and when I told you I was pregnant, you didn't seem very happy. You are the whole reason I came back here, to find out if you wanted me… and the baby", she paused. Her face went from a beaming smile to sober and sad in seconds before she added, " I was actually thinking about leaving here again since it seemed as though you didn't care at all."**

**Don felt that curious wrenching in his heart, and he sat down on the bed beside her. His hand spanned her stomach and he felt pride in knowing that under that small bump, there was a child in there, and it was his. **

" **Nikki, ever since you walked into my life, you have been the most important part. Every time I try to make you happy, something seems to go wrong, and you seem to get mad at me. Then I have no idea what to do, and I'm pretty sure you won't forgive me", Don explained.**

**Nikki cradled close to his body and felt his arms wrap around her. She finally felt safe and protected. She buried her head against his chest and let herself drift off in his arms.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: The Missing Piece**

**Don watched her sleep, and finally for the first time in his life, felt content. He realized that he wasn't on his break anymore and had to get back to work. When he turned back to that woman lying so trustingly in his arms, he didn't want to leave.**

**He placed her back on the pillow and kissed her forehead. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I love you." Then with one last look, he turned and left.**

**Nikki awoke hours later and found herself alone on the bed. She felt panic rising and looked about the room. She couldn't find who she was looking for and attempted to get out of bed. The I.V. pulled at her arm, but she didn't care.**

**Just as she was about to pull the I.V. out of her arm herself, the door opened.**

"**Nikki, what are you doing?", Danny asked.**

" **Trying to get out of bed, what does it look like?", Nikki replied.**

" **I see someone's feeling better", Danny commented.**

" **Bite me", was Nikki's response.**

**Danny chuckled. " Why exactly are you trying to get out of bed? I have your supper right here, you know", Danny said.**

" **That may be the case, but I was trying to find Don. Where is he?", Nikki asked.**

" **Right now, Don is trying to close your case for you", Danny replied.**

" **Oh. Okay", Nikki replied, sitting back down on the bed.**

" **Nikki, what's wrong?", Danny asked, setting her food down on the table. Then he went and sat beside his sister and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.**

" **It's just that Don left me… I thought… I though that maybe he was abandoning me", Nikki whispered, hanging her head. She felt like a fool for thinking that, but it was the first thing that came to mind.**

" **Nikki, he wouldn't abandon you. He loves you, or do you not know that by now? He's gonna stand by you on everything, and for you, he is gonna close this case", Danny said.**

" **You really think so?", she asked.**

" **I know so. I know that he asked if you could stay with Lindsay and me after you get out of here, but I'm wondering if maybe you should stay with Don. It's only natural, you know", Danny replied, carefully.**

" **I know it is. I would love to, but it's his decision, since it is his apartment that I would be staying in. Maybe you should talk to him about that", Nikki said, sadly.**

" **You don't think he would?", Danny asked, with a look of sheer disbelief on his face.**

" **I don't know. I mean, I know that he said he loves me, but saying it is different than seeing it. It's a lot to take in, with the baby and all. I love him, Danny. I do. Everything that's been going on, I just don't know what to do. I'm almost five months pregnant, Danny. I can't go to work, what am I supposed to do?", Nikki asked, forlornly. **

" **Trust your instincts. What are they telling you to do? Now, Nikki, I don't mean to be the brother to give you a lecture, but I know that you've always wanted a family. I know that it scares you to commit yourself to someone, especially after what happened with Jeremy. I don't blame you, but you have to listen to your heart, and let it tell you what the right choice to make is. You have to let your fear go. Flack isn't going to hurt you", Danny explained.**

**Nikki felt her fear lift a little. She had never really thought about commitment, she never thought she'd end up in a situation in which she would have to make that commitment. Especially after what happened to Jeremy, she had vowed to stay away from that, and she had built walls around her heart. Yet, now, as she sat in her hospital bed, with her hand ling protectively on top of her stomach, she realized that all the walls she had put up, had been slowly crumbling down, and were now gone.**

" **Nikki? You aren't going to find the answer staring at the wall", Danny laughed.**

" **Well, I'm going to try", Nikki said, defiantly.**

" **Good luck with that. I think you need a shrink", Danny commented.**

**Nikki turned her eyes to Danny and glared. **

**Danny wasn't afraid, he just grinned like a madman, and chuckled. " Oh, Nikki. Settle down, tiger, I was only joking", Danny laughed. " Well, sorta." He grinned again.**

**She smacked him playfully on the arm, and continued to stare at the floor. **

" **So, umm, did you want to eat this tonight or shall I take it back to serve later?", he asked.**

" **Oh yeah, right. Food!!", Nikki exclaimed.**

**Danny laughed as he handed her the plate of food he had brought. **

**Don settled back in his chair and tried to figure out what was wrong with the case. He knew there was something wrong with it, but he couldn't figure out what. Alex Cates seemed like a man who cared about what happened, yet Kyla had been missing and dead for almost two weeks. **

**Don knew it had something to do with Alex. The man was just too calm for a guy who had just lost his girlfriend, one who he had planned to ask to marry. Alex was the key, his calmness over the loss of his girlfriend was just not right. Don got up and grabbed his jacket, it was time to go talk to Mr. Cates again.**

**Don knocked on Alex's door three more times. The last two times he had knocked, he had gotten no answer. Now was the exact repeat. He unholstered his gun, kicked the door open, and went inside. It was dark in the front hallway.**

**Don searched the apartment and found no one, except a few half cleaned out drawers. It looked like he had packed quickly.**

"**Shit", Don whispered to himself as he holstered his gun. He took out his phone and dialled Mac's number. Mac picked up on the second ring.**

" **Hello?", Mac answered.**

" **We have a problem", Don replied.**

**Mac was quiet for a few minutes. " What kind of problem?", Mac asked, slowly.**

" **I just figured out why it felt so wrong. Cates just seemed too calm about his girlfriend's death. Not even welled-up tears. Now, he could've been shocked, but no emotion whatsoever blinked across his face. It was just too composed. He had something to do with Kyla's murder, if he wasn't the murderer himself. But, I came back to talk to him and Mac, he left. Packed in a hurry, too, it looks like", Don explained.**

" **Okay, put out a description of him and the car he owns. I'll check every passenger list for every plane today, and get Danny and Hawkes on the airports. How long do you think he's been gone for?", Mac asked. Don could hear typing in the background, so he figured Mac must already be on it.**

" **Well, I visited him at about 11:30 this morning, and it's just after 3:00 now. He would've had to pack and drive, he'll probably be at the airport with a plane ticket. He won't get out today though, not unless he got on a red-eye flight. I'll head to JFK and try to find him", Don said, on his way out the door.**

" **Don, this guy doesn't have a record", Mac stated.**

" **I know, he doesn't even have anything that could've been expunged. I dug through every file I could and there is no criminal history at all. He's a first timer, unless he's really good. Mac, this guy is at the top of my list now", Don exclaimed. Then he hung up as he ran down the stairs.**

**As soon as he got in his car, he turned on the lights and started down the road to JFK International Airport.**

**He got to the airport and waited for his back-up. Then, he headed into the building calmly, so that no one would be alerted and start to panic.**

**After having no luck with anyone in the building, he headed to the next airport on his list. He could tell it was going to be a long night, he didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Guilt**

**As Don searched through the last airport on his list, he figured that Alex must have driven, if not used the subways. Then his phone rang.**

"**Hello?", Don answered. Even to his own ears, he could hear the weariness laced in his voice.**

" **Hey, look I've checked through every passenger manifest for every plane in the damn city, and I finally found him. He's booked a red-eye flight to Miami, and it's at the airport you're in right now", Mac replied. " It's boarding in Terminal 4 in about twenty minutes."**

**Don looked around and closed his phone. He grabbed his walkie-talkie and told every one of his guys that their suspect was in the building in Terminal 4. Then he started calmly walking towards it.**

**Don looked around the seats in Terminal Four and found his suspect. As Don had thought, he had packed light, only a couple of bags, so he wouldn't be let down by luggage. He looked around and started walking towards Alex Cates.**

" **Where you going, Cates?", Don asked.**

**Alex didn't move at first and then looked up at Don with a somewhat innocent expression.**

" **What do you mean, Detective? I'm going to visit my parents in Florida", Alex replied, calmly.**

" **And, you couldn't book a flight for tomorrow?", Don asked, disbelievingly. " Come on, get up. Let's go have a chat."**

**Alex just sat there, with an even expression on his face, then picked up his bags, stood up, and threw them at Don. Flack stumbled backwards, and caught himself as Cates ran through the terminal.**

**Flack stood up and yelled at his guys, who were already on him. Just as he was getting close to Cates, Danny ran into the suspect and knocked Alex over. Danny hooked him up as Flack caught up to him.**

" **Wow, where the hell did you come from?", Flack asked.**

" **Mac phoned. Said you were here and what Terminal this guy was in, so I came to help", Danny replied.**

**They both turned back to the suspect, and then picked him up off the floor. **

" **I didn't do nothing wrong", Cates grated out.**

" **Yeah, sure. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You are allowed a lawyer, if you cannot afford one, we will appoint you one. Anything else, Danny?", Flack said.**

**Danny shook his head, grinning.**

" **Good, didn't think so. Now, let's escort this slum bag to one of our finest places in the city", Don replied.**

**Nikki sat on her hospital bed, staring out the window, into the darkness. She felt lonely, but a little happier than she ever could remember. She actually knew how Don felt now and she was glad it was the same she felt for him.**

**It was in the middle of her thoughts that Stella walked into the room. Nikki turned to her and smiled.**

" **You're looking better, I see", Stella commented. She smiled back.**

" **I'm feeling better. Now I just want to get out of here. I feel so alone with no one in the rooms all the time. The nurses don't help any", Nikki replied, making a face.**

" **You'll be out of here soon enough, I bet. From what I heard from Danny, you're doing so well, they want to let you go home tomorrow", Stella recalled.**

" **Really? I hope so. These walls are starting to feel like a prison cell now", Nikki laughed.**

**Stella joined in the laughter. " You're definitely feeling better", she said.**

**After they calmed down, Nikki asked, " How's the case going?"**

" **Well, it's going. Flack is relentless. He won't let this killer go until he's caught", Stella told her.**

" **I know. He can be a maniac when it comes to these things", Nikki agreed.**

" **He's doing it for you. We all know how personal this case is to you, and because Don cares about you, I think through you, it affected him too. After that scare you gave us, it really put him through the ringer. He wants to get what's been hurting you so badly", Stella explained.**

**Nikki looked surprised by the observations that Stella had just given her. Questions started running through her mind. Did he really care about her that much? Would the fact that he was being so relentless, so careless, bring him down like it did her? **

" **You really think so? Do you really think it affected him this much?", Nikki asked. She still couldn't believe that could be true.**

" **Of course. Everyone knows that he's desperately in love with you and has been for months. When Jeremy had kidnapped you, Don went crazy looking for you. He didn't sleep for days, weeks even. Eventually, sleep deprivation took it's toll and he had to rest for a day or two. Every time he looks at you, it's a like a blind man being able to see the sun for the first time. He adores you. Whatever hurts you, hurts him", Stella explained.**

**Nikki looked shocked to know that everyone else had noticed his falling for her when she didn't even notice a thing about him. She felt like a complete idiot. She was usually so observant, yet with him, she seemed to lose track of everything.**

" **We also know that you're desperately in love with him too. It's the reason why you came back, isn't it?", Stella asked.**

" **Yeah, its definitely part of it. Look, when I found out I was pregnant, I completely freaked. I didn't know what to do, but I knew immediately who the father was. It took a few days, but I realized I knew what I was going to do. I would've come back anyways, to visit Danny. And to see Don, even if he didn't see me. I came back to find out if Don wanted me, and if he didn't, I was gonna stay for a few months at my parents house, and then leave again", Nikki told her. " I fell completely head over heels for him, and I didn't realize it until I had to leave for Virginia."**

" **So you were never going to leave for forever, were you?", Stella asked.**

" **Well, I thought I could, but now that I look back on it, I would've come back sooner or later", Nikki answered. " What was Don like after I left?"**

" **After you left, no one thought he'd ever be the same again. First, I guess denial kept him around, and then sadness, followed by anger. He hated that you left and didn't say goodbye. We all knew something happened between you and him before you left, but no one, not even Danny asked what happened. He felt betrayed, and that cut him. We all saw the changes. The little anger streaks that would come out of nowhere. He'd go to the bar when he wasn't on duty. He'd snap at people, just little things we started to notice after a couple of weeks. After you had been gone about a month and a half, we noticed that he started to mellow out, and then he would hardly talk to anyone at all. We all felt the pain of losing you", Stella explained.**

**Nikki had tears in her eyes as she realized what she had put Don through. They slipped over and down her cheeks. She felt horrible for what she had done. The guilt she had started rising in her and then it spilled over and she burst out in an anguished cry.**

**Stella went and sat on the bed. She pulled the crying woman into her arms and held her as she let the younger woman's guilt wash over her. Never had she heard a person in such pain since Nikki had been kidnapped by Jeremy. Don's pain had been heartbreaking, and they had all felt it. Now was the same for her with Nikki's pain.**

" **You can't blame yourself, Nikki. You were only doing what you thought was right. There's nothing wrong with that", Stella explained.**

" **There…is. I-I caused everyone…misery when I left. Don…he felt it, and…took it out on…everyone else. I'm…so sorry", Nikki sobbed.**

" **It's okay. You were doing what was right for you. You didn't know that this would happen. No one blames you, we all forgive you", Stella said.**

" **So…why do I feel horrible?", Nikki asked, still sobbing.**

" **Natural reaction. You just have to know, that none of us were ever mad at you. We all knew that you didn't know that Don would fly off the handle when you left, so we all took it, and tried to keep him calm as much as possible", Stella replied. " We all forgive you."**

**The problem was, Nikki wasn't sure if she could forgive herself for what she had done.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Interrogation**

**As Nikki sat staring out the window of her hospital room, thoughts kept tumbling around in her head. She felt so certain she could forgive herself for what she had done, but now, she wasn't so sure.**

**She wanted to see Don but knew it would be impossible. He was out solving a case for her. She wasn't so sure she deserved that kind of kindness. She heard that tiny voice inside her head say, " **_**You should leave**_**."**

**She shook her head and closed her eyes. The only thing she could picture was her watching Don holding the baby. He was smiling, and the baby was sleeping. She opened her eyes, but the picture did not leave her mind.**

" **Sit down, Cates", Don exclaimed.**

" **What's wrong with you, man? I didn't do nothing wrong. I keep telling you, I was going to visit my parents. My mom is sick and I got a phone call from my father saying that she had taken a turn for the worst. I had to leave as soon as possible so I could see her", Cates explained.**

" **Oh, really?", Don asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.**

" **Yeah, can I go now? I've already missed my flight, now I need to go call my parents and tell them I won't be able to make it there until late tomorrow", Cates grumbled.**

**Flack pulled out a file. " You said your mom was sick, right? What was she sick with?", Don asked.**

" **Last stages of lung cancer", Cates answered, evenly.**

**Flack opened the file and read to himself. Then, he looked at Cates and put the file in front of him. " That's funny, because your father said nothing at all about your mom being sick. Actually, he didn't say anything at all. See? Right there, date of death: May 16, 2003, and your mom, date of death: September 2, 2000. Both your parents are dead, so I'm pretty sure your mom isn't sick with lung cancer, anymore at least", Don explained.**

**Cates just sat there and said nothing. There didn't seem to be sadness or remorse in his eyes, or face.**

" **You wanna say something about that, bud? Because I think that you're lying, no, I know that you're lying", Don said.**

**Don picked up the file, turned around and walked out of the room, and walked into the watch room. Mac turned to him as he entered.**

" **He's obviously lying, Mac. The evidence right there says that he is. Both his parents are dead. He didn't even flinch when I mentioned them", Don spat out.**

" **What did his mother die from?", Mac asked.**

**Don checked the file. " Lung cancer", he answered.**

" **So, he's taking something that he's already gone through, he wasn't making it up. It just happened awhile ago", Mac replied.**

**They both turned around as Danny walked into the room.**

" **Okay, great news. We found a knife, not too far from where the initial crime scene was located. We wouldn't have found it if me and Hawkes hadn't have gone back and done a thorough search of the area around the crime scene. We found a knife with the same length and shape as that of the knife that killed our victim. Bonus, it also had blood on it, human blood", Danny explained.**

" **So, you're running it now?", Mac asked.**

" **Yep, and it had fingerprints, which I am also running right now", Danny said. " Whoever killed her, wasn't very smart."**

" **Or, he wasn't meaning to kill her. Maybe they were meeting on the corner so they could talk, but an argument broke out and he grabbed the knife. The type of knife is very rare, which means that it'll be registered", Don replied, looking pointedly at Danny.**

" **I'll go look it up", Danny replied, turning around and walking out of the room.**

" **You'd think this guy would be a little smarter. Cates doesn't seem like the type of guy to not wear gloves if he was going to kill someone. Unless he wasn't planning to kill her", Don said.**

" **And he just happened to be carrying the knife?", Mac asked.**

" **Well, he is rich and this is New York", Don replied.**

" **Okay, maybe. But let's see if the knife has his fingerprints on it, and if the blood belongs to her. Also, if it belongs to him", Mac replied.**

" **What do we do with him?", Don asked, disgustedly.**

" **Give him some time in there. He might rethink this thing and confess after. Leave him in there for a couple of hours, it might do him some good", Mac asked, as he left the room.**

**Adam walked around trying to find Mac. As he turned the next corner in the lab, he saw Don about to leave. " Flack!", Adam exclaimed.**

**Don turned to see Adam hurrying after him. Don stopped to wait for him. " What is it?", Don asked.**

" **The results of the tests. Umm…the blood belongs to our victim, and the fingerprints belong to our suspect", Adam told him.**

" **Okay, have you heard from Danny on who it belongs to?", Don asked.**

" **No, not yet", Adam answered. **

" **Okay, well, we know who the blood belongs to and who's fingerprints are on it. All the fingerprints belong to Cates, right?", Don asked.**

**Adam looked in the file. " Yeah, every single one of them", he answered.**

**Don looked around and spotted Danny walking right towards them.**

" **Great, you're still here. I went looking for any owners of this type of knife. And, well, let's hear the other results", Danny suggested.**

" **The blood belongs to the victim, fingerprints belong to the suspect in custody, now who does the knife belong to?", Don asked.  
**

" **Okay, well, surprise, surprise. It belongs to Cates", Danny answered.**

" **Great, well, let's go present this evidence to Mac and then go talk to Cates. I think he has some explaining to do", Don replied, half smiling.**

" **Wait, Don. There' something you should know. It's about Nikki. Ever since this case started, she's been working herself almost to death. I finally realized why. I know this woman was pregnant, and it affected Nikki a lot. We all thought it was because Nikki was pregnant and so it was personal. Well, it is personal, but not only because of that. I knew I recognized our victim from somewhere, but I couldn't put my finger on it. She was one of Nikki's friends", Danny explained.**

**Don just looked at him and then asked, " Are you sure?"**

" **Yeah, absolutely positive. I've seen Nikki with her and I recognized the name. Kyla Jenkins has been Nikki's friend for as long as I can remember. They were best friends all through high school and then Kyla moved. I don't think they were in touch and then Nikki left, no wonder this case hurt her", Danny concluded.**

" **Well, glad that's out of the way. We talk to Mac, then Cates and then Nikki. I need to know why she didn't tell me", Don replied as they started walking.**

**The nurse walked in and gently said Nikki's name. She opened her eyes and looked up at the nurse. " Good morning, dear. I need to check yours and the baby's vitals and then you need to get ready to leave. You are being released today", the nurse smiled.**

**Nikki looked around as the nurse started checking the vital signs. She was being released. It was a miracle. As was the baby, Nikki never regretted the baby, not one bit.**

**She just didn't know what to do. She could call Danny or Don and ask if they could pick her up. Danny would tell Don though, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to face him knowing that she hurt him so badly.**

**She thought about it for a long time, and then the nurse was talking to her and she missed what she said at first.**

" **Umm…Miss?", the nurse asked.**

**Nikki shook her head. " I'm sorry. Just thinking. I can't believe I'm finally getting out of here", Nikki smiled.**

" **I know. I was wondering, is there anyone I can call to come pick you up?", the nurse asked.**

" **Yes", Nikki replied.**

**The nurse waited expectantly, but Nikki didn't say anything else. " Who, Miss?", the nurse asked.**

" **My father", answered Nikki. **


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Possibilities**

**Nikki listened to the raindrops patter out a pattern on the roof and windows. If she listened close enough, she could hear her parents' breathing. She realized she really needed to get some sleep, she hadn't slept in a few days. She had come home feeling like crap, and she hadn't called Danny or Don yet. She really should.**

**She still blamed herself for Don's pain, but as she sat there, she realized that she was probably just hurting him more. She got up and went to grab a glass of water, then went to bed again.**

**The next day she picked up the phone and called Danny. **

" **Hello?", answered Danny.**

" **Hey, Danny", Nikki sighed.**

" **Nikki?", Danny exclaimed, " Where are you?"**

" **Relax, cowboy, I'm at our parents' house", Nikki answered.**

" **Jesus, Nikki, you scared the hell out of me", and Danny added, " and Don."**

" **Sorry. I had some stuff to sort out and you guys all said I should get away from the stress…" She got cut off.**

" **So you went to Staten Island? That's real stress-free", Danny pointed out teasingly.**

" **Well, it was somewhat peaceful. Look, is Don anywhere nearby?", she asked.**

" **Nope, sorry sis. He went home a few hours ago. He's been spending all this time trying to get our suspect to crack. So far, it hasn't gotten us nothing but no sleep and a bad migraine", Danny answered grimly.**

" **That bad, huh?", Nikki asked.**

" **Yeah, that bad, sis. We're having a tough time with this guy who may or may not have murdered our victim. Why didn't you tell me Kyla was one of your friends?", Danny asked quietly. Which meant he was angry, or disappointed, or both.**

" **Look, it was awhile ago. And besides, I didn't really recognize her until I found out her name. But I wrote it off as somebody with the same name", Nikki answered, adding, " I don't know her anymore, so it's not personal."**

" **The hell it isn't. Nikki, she was a friend of yours. Who happened to be pregnant, also. She may have been a past friend, but she was still a friend nonetheless. You can't excuse that, you know", Danny replied.**

" **But I did. And I will. I can't solve this case, but I'll bet my badge the boyfriend did it. How many excuses is he making? How many lies, Danny? How many? If he loved her, would he lie? Would he have tried to leave? His girlfriend was murdered, carrying his child, Danny, I'm going to be a mother…"**

" **But, I **_**am**_** a father, Nikki. It hurts, I know. He's a jackass, and maybe he's grieving, or maybe he did it, I don't know", he replied, deliberately ignoring her questions, which were right.**

" **Are you defending him, Danny? That son-of-a-bitch might've killed a pregnant woman. I've heard of guys not wanting to have children, but that is absolutely ridiculous", Nikki answered. **

**Danny knew that once Nikki started adding sarcastic remarks to her comments, that she was royally pissed off. In truth, he couldn't blame her, he wasn't defending the jerk, but she hadn't been there for the past three days. She didn't know how many scenes and motives they had run through, coming up with nothing.**

" **Nikki", Danny softened his voice, " I'm not defending him. He probably did do it, we just don't know why."**

" **The child was his. She wasn't dumping him, or maybe she was. Chances are, she didn't know she was pregnant. Maybe she was splitting, and he didn't want to let her go", Nikki supposed.**

" **Splitting? Nikki, you've spent way too much time in Staten Island. Come on, Nikki, come home. To where you belong", Danny pleaded. He kept mulling over that fact that maybe Kyla had been breaking up with Alex, and he had gotten mad. They had considered the possibility of that, but tossed it out the window.**

" **I plan on it, very soon, right now, I need to focus. You know I'm a good problem solver. My brain works in mysterious ways, you know that. Let me help you. I won't let it stress me out, I promise", Nikki promised. In truth, she'd do anything just to get her mind off of the fact that she was pregnant.**

" **I don't know, Nikki. It may not be good for you", Danny replied.**

" **No. What's not good for me is sitting around here doing nothing at all. I need something to occupy my mind, something to challenge me", Nikki tossed back.**

" **Fine, I'll let you help. But, no field work, and you have to promise me you'll come back and will never leave without telling someone first", he said it with finality.**

" **Ok, talk to you later", she hung up.**

**Nikki got up and headed outside. It was warm but foggy. She took a deep breath and then headed down the sidewalk. Her parents had left for work that morning, so she had the house to herself. **

**It felt so different now, being grown up and walking the streets that she had played in as a child. She remembered the first time a boy had tried to kiss her. It was the last time he had come close to her. Her brothers were so protective, to the point that she hadn't had her first kiss until she was fifteen.**

**Nikki laughed softly to herself in memory of the old days, when things were so much simpler. Nowadays, things were more tangled up than a fishing net in a hurricane. Which was pretty bad.**

**Nikki though that maybe if she had stayed in Chicago, everything would be simple. But, then again, complicated equalled fun, because nothing was too simple. And everything had a high cost, no matter what. Nikki knew she had some things she needed to sort out, but it felt right being in New York.**

**She knew that things would only get worse if she didn't do something. So, she would help solve her case. And what to do about Don, Nikki didn't quite know. All she knew was that she loved him, and he had said that he loved her, so she needed to work things out for them and their baby.**

**Nikki found herself back at her parents' house an hour later, finally feeling a little better. She went and made herself some tea, peppermint, of course. She found herself leaning against the counter looking at the phone thoughtfully. She shook her head and looked away, picking up a granola bar.**

**Minutes later, Nikki found herself staring at the phone again. So, she sighed and picked it up, punching numbers all the way. It rang a few times before a groggy voice filled her ear.**

" **Hello?", the voice said.**

" **Hello, Don", Nikki replied, heaving a sigh in her mind.**

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_**Hey Guys, I know it's been awhile, but I finally got passed a very stressful time in my life and I'm back to finish this story. I apologize to any of you's who felt I was letting you hang out to dry. I just hope I won't let you guys down. Thanks for all your support.**_


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: A Home At Last**

**Nikki sat in the car watching the man beside her. When Don had picked her up yesterday, he had looked dishevelled. But now, looking at him, he looked a lot more alive.**

"**Looked your fill yet, Nikki?", Don asked, grinning at her sideways.**

**Nikki looked away quickly, blushing.**

" **You're beautiful when you blush like that you know", Don said in a soft voice.**

**Nikki couldn't resist looking at him then. He looked tired, but his eyes held a smile that always remained there, just for her.**

" **You look so worn out, Don. Have you been sleeping?", Nikki asked, worry clear on her face.**

**Don found he had a lump in his throat that she could be so concerned over him. " I'm getting little catnaps when I can", he replied.**

" **Oh, Don. That's not good. You aren't resting properly. How are we supposed to raise our child if you won't sleep properly?", Nikki asked.**

**Don was clearly taken aback by what she had just asked. He wasn't expecting her to actually stay around with him. He would've chased her to the ends of the Earth to get her to love him.**

" **Umm…Nikki, you want me to help raise our child?", was all Don could think to reply with.**

**Nikki looked at him as if he'd just grown two heads and then laughed.**

" **Of course, I want you to help. My God, Don, why do you think I came back? I need you, in many ways. Don, I want you beside me, raising our child. But for more than that, I want to wake up in the morning and have your face be the first thing I see. I want you for a lover and a friend. I want to have more children with you. Don, I love you, that's the reason I came back in the first place", Nikki admitted.**

**Don was shocked at her admittance of love. He'd never thought he'd ever hear those words from her. But she had just spoken them, and he had no idea how to respond. Now he knew why Danny had gone so soft, women had an effect that took men to their knees.**

" **Nikki. I…umm…that is, you love me? That's how you want to spend your life? With me?", Don asked, still so shocked.**

" **Yes, I do. I couldn't imagine the rest of my life without you. When I found out I was pregnant, I was scared that maybe it could be Jeremy's. I would've given it up right away. But when I found out that it was yours, I loved it right away. I'm glad you didn't use protection, I don't know if we would be right where we are right now", Nikki said.**

" **Of course we might not be here right at this moment, like this. But, Nikki, I want you to know, nothing changes how I feel. I would've found out where you went, and I would've gone after you. I would've stayed there until I could convince you that you loved me too", Don replied, adding, " My apartment building. We're home."**

**Nikki and Don carried her bags up to his apartment and then she went and looked in his bedroom. It wasn't made up, so she went and placed her palm on his pillow. She smiled again at the thought of the one night she had spent in his arms.**

" **I've never moved any of my furniture since that night. I kept it just the way it was, so I could remember you. At times, I would roll over to where you had lain, and I would inhale the scent of vanilla and lavender off of the pillow there", Don said, softly, from the doorway.**

**Nikki turned around and looked at him. He was staring at her, before his eyes moved to where her hand lay on the small bump of her stomach. He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. She didn't resist, rather wrapping her arms around his waist.**

**His face moved against her hair. He placed a hand on her stomach. She looked at him as he looked in fascination at her growing tummy. He glanced up to her face, and seen her smile at him.**

" **You have got to be the most beautiful woman in the world", he murmured.**

" **Because I'm pregnant?", Nikki asked, laughing lightly.**

" **No, because you are who you are. An angel who was sent to me, you've shown me what love is. Our children are gonna know exactly the type of person you are, because I'm gonna tell them every single day just how special you are", Don replied.**

" **I just bet you will. Don, I'm sorry for all the pain I caused when I left", Nikki said.**

" **Relax, hunny. You didn't know exactly how I felt about you. I couldn't blame you for leaving, with New York having a lot of the memories of Jeremy. I just wished you would've said goodbye, that's all", Don replied.**

" **I know, and if I could go back in time, I would've come to say goodbye to you. I'm just happy to be here now, after all this time. And all the heartache we've been through, this is what I want. Just to be here, with you", Nikki said, adding, " It took me long enough to realize what I want."**

**Don laid down on the bed with her and just held her. It felt good to hold her against him again. Her hand curled up in his shirt, right over his heart, as if she knew she owned it. She sighed and curled tighter against him. He could feel her deep and even breathing, telling him she was asleep.**

**Nikki opened her eyes and immediately knew it was night time. She could feel Don's body heat curling around her. He was breathing deeply, and evenly, so she concluded he must be asleep. His hand was resting protectively on her stomach. She smiled.**

**Gently, she looked up at his sleeping face. He looked much younger in his sleep. All the lines were gone, giving him a boyish look. As if sensing her eyes on him, his opened gently.**

" **I love finding your eyes on me. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside", he smiled.**

**His grin made him look ten years younger and she couldn't resist kissing his upturned mouth. It didn't take him long to respond to her and deepen the kiss. He rolled over, putting the top half of his body on hers. **

**Once they started removing clothing, Don pulled away.**

" **What's wrong?", Nikki asked, a little breathlessly.**

" **Should we do this? Won't it hurt the baby?", Don asked, his concerned eyes roaming down to her stomach.**

" **No, the baby won't notice a thing. It's protected by my womb. I did a lot of reading in the hospital", Nikki answered.**

**Don bent down and kissed her again. Slowly, he deepened the kiss. He made love to her slowly that night, taking his time and being as careful as he could. They fell asleep in each other's arms, his hand protecting the growing baby inside of her.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: A Motive To Kill**

**Nikki rubbed a hand over her eyes as she continued to peruse the evidence laid out before her. The answer was right in front of her, she just couldn't see it. She needed to find a motive for the killing of a long time friend, and she couldn't seem to find one.**

**It was looking more and more towards the fact that maybe Alex didn't kill his girlfriend. However, the only problem with that was the fact that they didn't have another suspect who was closer to her than that.**

**All the evidence pointed to Alex Cates. However, after all the searching, they still couldn't find a reasonable motive to kill her. Although, many of the murderers out there had no practical motives at all.**

"**You okay in here?", Danny asked, coming up behind her.**

" **Yeah…no, actually I'm not. I still can't find a plausible explanation for Alex wanting to kill his girlfriend", she paused, and before he could protest, she added, " I know that all the evidence and paper trails lead back to Cates. I know that, and yet after searching through all of these endless reports, I still have no idea why he would kill her."**

" **Is it possible she was seeing someone else and he found out and in a rage, killed her because of it?", Danny asked.**

" **Yes, it is possible. Nevertheless, Danny, nothing here indicates that she was seeing someone else. There were no unknown phone calls to her cell. She always came home on time. There was no unusual activity that had her leaving unexpectedly during work, unless Alex came by. There's no indication whatsoever that she was having an affair", Nikki answered.**

" **Okay, so, where exactly does that put us?", Danny asked.**

**Nikki looked back down at her notes and replied, " Right back to the beginning."**

**Danny walked into Mac's office and said, " We still have no motive, Mac. Nikki keeps looking these things over, but you know, we have no explanation as to why Alex Cates would kill his girlfriend."**

" **Well, could she have been cheating on him? Maybe, he was doing something illegal and she confronted him?", Mac suggested.**

" **No, she wasn't cheating, and if she was, she's damn good at hiding it. He may have been doing something illegal, but so far, nothing out of the ordinary in his financials either", Danny answered.**

" **Maybe, she found out she was pregnant, and it was someone else's. Maybe someone she met randomly, as though she had a fight with Alex, and this guy may have comforted her too far… maybe the baby…", Mac trailed off.**

" **No, it's impossible. The baby belonged to Alex, we checked the DNA…twice actually", Danny replied.**

" **Ok, so why are you coming to me, Danny? You can figure it out. It's just common sense and a little bit of a jigsaw puzzle. The answer's there, Dan, you just haven't found it yet", Mac said.**

**Danny walked out of the room more frustrated than ever. He knew the answer was right in front of him, and Mac didn't help him by telling him that. There had to be a piece missing, what else would explain it all?**

**He went and grabbed a cup of coffee and a granola bar before going back to the evidence. It all seemed to point towards Cates, the likely suspect. Every paper trail they had led back to him. Nevertheless, he had appeared to be a loving boyfriend.**

**All of the dead ends still didn't make sense. If Kyla wasn't cheating, and as far as they knew, Alex wasn't doing anything illegal, then who murdered her and why? When every road pointed in one direction, does the road have a destination, or is there a hidden turn somewhere along it?**

**Don watched Nikki from the door, she looked like an avenging angel. Except his angel had a pregnancy bump. **

" **You might as well come in. It's not like I'm getting anywhere anyway", Nikki said, turning and offering him a warm smile.**

**Don walked all the way into the room and pulled up a seat beside her. He took her hand and she sighed, a look on contentment on her face.**

" **I take it you haven't found a happy ending for our case yet", Don made it a statement.**

**Nikki was shaking her head before he'd even finished his sentence. **

" **I don't know why he killed her. I know all of it points towards Cates, but I just can't find a reason", Nikki said, defeated.**

**Don hated seeing her look so defeated. She looked ready to give up, and yet, he knew in his heart, the reason was in front of them. It was just the matter of dining it that bugged him.**

" **Oh, sweetheart, you'll find it. The reason is there. Even if it's a different guy, although I seriously doubt it, you'll find it, I know you will", Don replied, kissing her forehead.**

" **What if you tried talking to him again? Maybe he'll be willing to give something up now", Nikki suggested.**

" **Okay, I don't think he will, but I'll try", Don replied, kissing her again before getting up again and leaving the room.**

**Cates sat down in the chair opposite of Don. He looked scruffy, and wary. Don was hoping he had enough of this teasing jail stuff.**

" **What do you want, Detective?", Cates asked, wearily.**

" **It's nice to see you again too. You ready to cut a deal?", Don asked.**

" **What kind of deal? And, why? I haven't done anything wrong. I didn't kill Kyla", Cates replied.**

" **The knife that killed her belongs to you. She was pregnant, with your baby. Every road that we come across seems to lead us right back to you. You keep denying that you killed her, but I think you did, and I want to know why", Don said.**

" **That's a good question, Detective. Why? That's what I'd like to know", Cates replied.**

" **All right, cut the crap. I know you killed her, I don't know why. Care to enlighten me, Alex?", Don asked.**

" **Say what you want, Detective, I didn't kill my girlfriend. I loved her…"**

" **So much that you killed her? That's a ridiculous reason, you know", Don interrupted.**

" **You won't give it up, will you? Why won't you believe me?", Cates asked.**

" **Because, you are a lying piece of shit who tried to escape us once we questioned you. You didn't cry when I told her she was dead. Don't give me the whole "pride" problem, that's bull. The knife that killed her belonged to you, not to mention your fingerprints were on it… I could go on and on, you know", Don answered.**

" **Alright, fine, you're right. I did kill her. That's the reason my fingerprints were on that knife, and why it belonged to me. Yes, I killed that lying bitch. I couldn't reach her at her parent's house when she left. So, I heard she was back in New York. I followed her. She was with another man, that's who she was with that morning when I killed her. Unfortunately, the bastard that was screwing her got away before I could get him", Cates spat, his eyes blazing fire.**

**Don sat back in the chair, taken aback by what Cates had just said. He just stared at the man who had killed his girlfriend in cold blood.**

" **What? No witty retort, Detective?", Alex asked.**

" **You did kill her?", Don asked, still shocked.**

" **Yes, I found her pregnancy test in the trash. It was positive, so I got angry. I figured the kid wasn't mine, so I called her at her parents, she wasn't there. How convenient that it just fuelled my growing suspicion. I found her, followed her for a week, and I seen her with him a few times. That morning, I went to confront her about it, and when I seen him with her, my anger took over and I killed her. That's it, that's all", Alex admitted.**

**Don didn't say another word. He got up and walked out the door and headed for the lab. They now had a killer, and a motive. Now they needed to find the guy she was sleeping with.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: Mystery Man**

**Nikki just stared at nothing in particular as Don told her who killed Kyla and why. She had a good feeling that he was the one who had killed Kyla, she just couldn't figure out why he would've done something so horrible. Jealousy, it was a horrible feeling.**

" **Ok, so how exactly do we find this other guy?", Nikki asked, when Don finished explaining.**

" **Well, we can search Cates' apartment and see if he has any idea who he is. He might've followed them enough to have notes or photos of them together", Don suggested.**

" **He might. I suppose it's possible he stalked them around the city, or wherever they went. Maybe, then we can completely put this to rest", Nikki replied, turning back to her desk.**

**Don stayed a moment more because he wanted to ask Nikki something, but he figured there would be a better time for that later. He left the lab to go search Cates' apartment in the hopes of finding a clue about Kyla's other guy.**

**Don rummaged through old trash lying around before finding a big manila envelope. He opened it to find photos and a couple of notes. Looking through the photos indicated that Cates had indeed been following Kyla and her mysterious guy around the city.**

**Danny walked in the door for the first time in two days and immediately felt like just sinking down on the couch for a long nap.**

" **Danny? Is that you?", Lindsay called from the nursery.**

" **Yeah, hun, I'm home", Danny replied.**

**Lindsay came out into the living room of their apartment. She was wearing sweats and an old ripped t-shirt, and Danny had never seen anything more beautiful.**

" **I just got Rose to sleep. Where have you been? Tell me you finally solved that case considering you haven't been home in two days", Lindsay said.**

**Danny walked over to her and pulled his wife into his arms. She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him either and snuggle closer to his warmth.**

" **We didn't completely get it solved. We did however get a motive and a confession from the woman's killer. But, we need to find the guy the victim was sleeping with, just to confirm the story and whatnot. Supposedly, he was there when Cates confronted his supposedly cheating girlfriend", Danny explained.**

**Lindsay moved closer until there was absolutely no space left between them. It had been quite awhile since she and Danny had gotten any time to themselves.**

" **You guys will find him and close the case, I know you will. Right now, you look like you could use some food and sleep", Lindsay commented, looking up with worry at her husband.**

" **Don't worry about me, Montana. I'll be fine. I'm gonna go take a shower", Danny replied, kissing Lindsay on the forehead.**

**But when Danny got out, there was still some leftover potatoes and steak sitting on the counter, just heated up. Lindsay was on the couch, watching TV.**

**Danny took the plate of food and went to sit down on the couch with Lindsay. He was glad his wife knew how to cook a steak, especially just the way he liked it.**

" **You know, this is absolutely delicious", Danny said around a mouthful of food.**

" **I thought it would tempt you to eat", Lindsay murmured absently, flipping through channels.**

**Danny looked over at her before setting his plate down for a minute and asking her, " Is everything okay?"**

" **Yeah. I'm fine. I just got worried when you said you didn't want to eat", Lindsay replied.**

" **Oh, hunny. I didn't say I didn't want to eat. Just not at the moment. I grabbed a few granola bars and whatnot from the lab over the past couple of days. I was hungered for one of your fantastic meals though. I discovered I'm quite ravenous", Danny said, with a chuckle, picking up his plate and shoving more food into his mouth.**

**Lindsay laughed outright at her husband.**

**He regarded her curiously before asking around mouthfuls, " What?"**

**Lindsay laughed again. " I'm sorry, it's just, you look like a chipmunk who's mouth is quite full of nuts", she replied, stifling another laugh.**

" **I'm glad you find my hunger amusing, Montana", Danny replied.**

" **So am I", Lindsay replied, giggling.**

**Don and Nikki mulled over the photos found in the envelope Don had found in Cates' apartment. They were of Kyla and some unknown male. All of them were taken on different days, at different times, in many different places.**

**Nikki took one of the better photos that had the guy's face and went to Adam to enlarge it. **

**He looked at the photo before turning to Nikki and asking, " Are you sure this is the best view of the other man?"**

" **So far, it's the best, but Don is looking for more", Nikki answered.**

" **Don?", Adam asked.**

" **Flack. Detective Flack. And yes, I have him helping me with this. There's not much more to do besides go to the D.A. and we don't want to that until we find this guy. So, Adam, can you enlarge it for me?", Nikki asked.**

" **I can try. It might get grainy, though. The pixels don't look too bad right now, but it could get worse after enlarging. Did you want me to run it through photo ID in New York?", Adam replied.**

" **Yes, and if you don't get a hit, try the whole database", Nikki suggested, turned to leave the room and added, " Thanks Adam."**

**It took quite awhile for Adam to actually enlarge it enough so they could see the man's face. Once he did that, it took a few more hours to search the New York database and get absolutely nothing on that.**

**When Adam returned with a coffee, he had set it up so that it started searching the whole database for the country. He knew it would take hours upon hours to actually get a result. He settled down with a pizza pocket and watched the photos flip by.**

**After two hours of searching through photos, one finally popped up and he read the name. Nikki probably wouldn't be too happy about this one. He got up to go find her.**

" **Say again?", Nikki said, after hearing exactly who it was she had been with.**

" **I ran the photo twice against it. It matched every time. I can't help who the picture belongs to", Adam explained.**

" **I know it's not your fault, Adam. Forgive me. It's just my hormones and this freaky result that's got me wired", Nikki replied.**

" **Maybe you should take a rest", Don suggested.**

" **I will. Later. But right now, I want to know why she was with him all over the city. It's kind of strange, don't you think?", Nikki asked.**

" **Maybe she was showing him the sights?", Adam supplied.**

**Nikki just gaped at him. " Oh God, I hope not", she replied.**

" **Can I hear the name again, Adam?", Don asked.**

" **Nicholas. Nicholas Jenkins", Adam repeated, for the fourth time that night.**

" **He better hope to God she wasn't showing him the "sights". Or I might have to kill him for incest. That man had better not have been sleeping with his sister", Nikki replied, shuddering at the thought. **


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: Tying Up Loose Ends**

" **It was her brother?", Mac asked.**

" **Yeah, that's who's in these pictures with her. According to records, Nicholas Jenkins lives in Los Angeles. He flew to New York a couple of weeks ago, alone. He was obviously here to see his sister", Nikki answered.**

" **Have you found him yet?", Mac asked.**

" **No, not yet. He paid cash at his hotel, but we're fairly certain he's staying in another hotel, especially after what happened to Kyla", Nikki replied.**

" **So, he's a man running for his life after he witnesses a confrontation between her and Cates. He wouldn't go far. Find him, we need him as a witness", Mac ordered.**

**Nikki took that as a dismissal, so she turned and left Mac's office, running smack into Don.**

" **We really have to stop meeting like this", Don said.**

" **It's not my fault you don't watch where you're going", Nikki replied, burying her head in his chest.**

**He chuckled, and pulled her towards the break room. **

" **What are you doing? We need to find Nicholas Jenkins", Nikki said.**

" **I know, but you also need to eat something", Don replied. He grabbed a sandwich and some orange juice out of the fridge in the break room.**

" **Don, this is hardly the time to worry about my eating habits. Now get going, or Mac will have my head for slowing you down", Nikki grumbled, biting into the sandwich.**

" **He won't do that. He knows the importance of your eating these days. It's only my duty as a loving boyfriend to make sure that you and the baby are healthy", Don replied, sitting down beside her.**

" **Yeah, well, you got me food, and I thank you greatly for it. Now get going before we miss him again", Nikki replied.**

**Don got up off the couch and kissed the top of her head. " I love you", he said.**

" **I love you too", Nikki replied, watching him leave.**

**She was quite happy with the way her life was going. She had Don beside her, and a horribly sad case was about to be closed. She couldn't be more content. It surprised her that Don loved her as feverishly as she loved him. But, that didn't stop her from taking the chance she had wanted so greatly, and holding onto it with both hands.**

**As she ate her sandwich, she contemplated what she would do after this case closed. Knowing Mac as she did, he would probably send her home to rest instead of putting her on a new case. None of them wanted her there in the first place in case of the stress from the case getting to her.**

**Nikki would probably willingly volunteer to go home after all of this, just because she refused to put her baby in danger. If she didn't, Don would surely make her go home anyway. Nikki finished her sandwich and stared out the window at the sunrise, it was so beautiful.**

**Don stood in the elevator that was taking him up to the room where Nicholas Jenkins was staying in. He was glad that he had finally found him. It had taken so long, and there were so many hotels in New York, that Don had though it nearly impossible to find this guy.**

**As he walked to the room that Nicholas was staying in, he was glad to have caught up with the room service there. It would help him in case Nicholas decided to run.**

" **Sir? Room service", the man called.**

**The door opened not too far, but far enough that Don leaned over and said, " Mr. Jenkins?"**

**Nicholas opened the door farther and replied, " Who's asking?"**

**Don pulled his badge and showed it to the guy, and replied, " NYPD, sir. My name is Detective Don Flack."**

" **Yeah, I'm Nicholas Jenkins. What's going on, Detective?", Nicholas asked.**

" **I'm involved with the murder of Kyla Jenkins. Your sister. I know who killed her and why. The killer said you were there when he confronted her, is that true?", Don asked.**

**Nicholas hesitated, and then looked down the hall.**

" **There's no one else here, Mr. Jenkins, and the guy who killed your sister is in custody. You can tell me", Don reassured him.**

**Nicholas took a deep breath before answering, " Ok, yes, I was there. I had arrived here unexpectedly when she was at our parents house. So she came back before she was going to and showed me around. I've never been here before, so she helped me when I was really lost. I never liked her boyfriend, but he came up to her that morning and accused her of cheating, with me. She told me to go to the coffee shop, she said she'd meet me there, but she never came", Nicholas explained.**

" **It's okay, but, Mr. Jenkins? I need you to testify that it was him who confronted her. Can you do that?", Don asked.**

**Nicholas thought for a moment before saying, " Yeah, I suppose I could."**

" **Good. Could you come with me now, so you can have your statement written down?", Don asked. Nicholas was nodding before Don had even finished the sentence. Don let him grab his coat before they headed for the precinct.**

**Don went straight to the D.A. after getting a statement signed by Nicholas, and the trial was getting set up. Don felt glad that that particular case was over with, and now all he had to do was make his report. But there was something he needed to settle with Nikki first.**

**He walked into the lab and found her coming out of her office. He walked right up to her and took her arm to steer her to the break room.**

" **Don! What are you doing? I need to go grab something from Mac", Nikki exclaimed.**

" **I know, but I need to discuss something with you first****"****, Don replied, sitting down with her on the couch in the break room.**

" **Okay, shoot****"****, Nikki said.**

" **Nikki, I****'****m a one woman kind of guy. I found you, and I don****'****t want to let you go again. I already lost you once. I love you more than anything in the world, and you know that I would do anything for you. I know I don****'****t have a mansion, and my job is dangerous. I don****'****t get millions of dollars a year, and I know that. I only have my heart, body, and soul to give you****"****, he paused, letting it all sink in, before pulling out a small box from his pocket.**

**Nikki took a look at the box in his hand and her eyes widened. Her eyes jumped up to meet his gaze. He was looking at her with a calm, steady gaze.**

**He cleared his throat and his gaze left hers. That was the only sign that he was nervous. **

" **So, I guess what I'm getting at is…Nikki, will you marry me?", Don asked.**


	28. Chapter 28

_**I regret to inform you that this is the last chapter of this story. It was a great tale that I had come up with at random one day. Don and Nikki will forever live in my thoughts, and perhaps you may hear more about them later on in the future, but for now, their tale must end. I look forward to starting my new story, so look for a new one by me. Thank you for being so supportive. **_

_**___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**Chapter 28: A Better Future**

_**One year later**_

**Nikki stood there watching her 9-month-old daughter, Maya, sleep in her crib. Maya was such a beautiful baby, she had Nikki's brown eyes and very fine, but dark hair. She would be a beauty when she got older.**

**It had been a strange year, one she would never forget, she looked down at the ring Don had placed on her left ring finger only three months after Maya had been born. She remembered the day of her wedding, when Don had held Maya through the ceremony.**

**Many things had changed since the day Maya had been born. She had been born about three weeks before her due date. It was unexpected, but Don had been excited. She remembered when he proposed…**

" _**Nikki, I**__**'**__**m a one woman kind of guy. I found you, and I don**__**'**__**t want to let you go again. I already lost you once. I love you more than anything in the world, and you know that I would do anything for you. I know I don**__**'**__**t have a mansion, and my job is dangerous. I don**__**'**__**t get millions of dollars a year, and I know that. I only have my heart, body, and soul to give you**__**"**__**, he paused, letting it all sink in, before pulling out a small box from his pocket.**_

_**Nikki took a look at the box in his hand and her eyes widened. Her eyes jumped up to meet his gaze. He was looking at her with a calm, steady gaze.**_

_**He cleared his throat and his gaze left hers. That was the only sign that he was nervous. **_

" _**So, I guess what I**__**'**__**m getting at is**__**…**__**Nikki, will you marry me?**__**"**__**, Don asked.**_

_**She took the box out of his hand and opened it. She gasped at the ring, it was a simple diamond, but it was everything to her. She looked up at him and smiled when she answered, " You know I will, Don. Of course I'll marry you." She placed the ring on her finger and he kissed her.**_

**Nikki smiled at the memory.**

**Don stood at the door of Maya's nursery and watched his wife while she was watching the baby. He had adored Maya right from the moment he had learned Nikki was pregnant. **

**It had been a surprise for him that his firstborn was a girl, since it had been mainly guys, except for the random girl that popped up along his line. It didn't matter though, he loved Maya right from the day she was born.**

**He walked up to Nikki in the nursery and slipped his arms around her. She leaned up against him and placed her hands on his.**

" **She looks just like an angel when she's sleeping", Nikki commented.**

" **So do you, little is known you're a real spit fire when you are awake", Don teased back.**

**Nikki giggled and led him out of the room. " You're ridiculous, you know that, Detective?", she replied.**

" **Detective? Uh oh, I must be in some serious trouble", Don replied, grinning all the way.**

**Nikki slid her arms around his neck and whispered to his ear, " You're always in trouble by me."**

**Don just chuckled. " What did I do now, angel?", he asked, teasingly.**

" **You left the toilet seat up again, mister", Nikki scolded, only half teasing, and then added, " I almost fell in."**

" **I suppose I should remember that next time, shouldn't I? Hmmm… well, in that case, what can I do to make up for almost losing you to the toilet monster, my lovely wife?", he asked.**

" **Hmm… give me the world, Detective?", she suggested.**

**He pulled her closer to him before replying, " You know I will, love. I'll always do my best to give you the world."**

**She looked up at his face. There was still a smile in his eyes as she leaned up to kiss him. When she pulled away, there was no smile in his eyes, instead replaced by desire for her.**

" **I know you will. And I love you all the more for it. You don't have to try so hard though, Detective. You've got me, Don Flack. I'm yours", she replied, as she kissed him harder than before. There was no gentleness in that kiss as it turned into a passionate fire. He led her to the bedroom and closed the door.**

**Don was happy to wake up the next morning and remember it was Sunday, his day off. He turned his head to see his wife sleeping curled up to his side. Nikki had been so beautiful when she was pregnant. It had been such a long time since Don had seen her with a flat stomach that when she lost the baby weight, he was shocked.**

**Now seeing her with a flat stomach was a daily occurrence, and one he relished to see, although it was wonderful to watch his child grow inside of her. He hoped to see that someday in the next year or two. He knew that Nikki wanted to get Maya started before having another child.**

**He was always grateful that it was her he woke up to see every morning and that she was always the last thing he saw when he got into bed at night. Although she was taking the next couple of months off of work, he still had to go back, which meant that he was often home late, as hard as he tried not to be.**

**Everyday was a new adventure for them, being new parents, but Nikki was basically the professional in the whole parent routine. Maya didn't cry in the night anymore, but he always got up now if she did and let Nikki sleep. She worked all day looking after Maya, she deserved some time off, even if only for a few hours.**

**It was a lot to take in, he had won the woman he loved, had a child, and gone through the biggest trial in his life, all in the past year or so. The cases never stopped pouring in, and he knew that Nikki was anxious to get back to the lab. He always tried to be home so he could have some time with Maya, and it was getting better.**

**Don knew that some of the biggest trials in his life were coming up, but he and Nikki would face them together, he had promised to protect and cherish Nikki, until death did them part… which was exactly what Don would do. He looked over at his sleeping wife one more time, she looked exactly like the angel from his dreams.**

**The end…or is it?**


	29. NOT AN UPDATE BUT PLEASE READ!

Greetings to the fine folk that moderate our site.

Myself, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that I believe violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be looseing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

Psudocode_Samurai

Rocketman1728

dracohalo117

VFSNAKE

Agato the Venom Host

Jay Frost

SamCrow

Blood Brandy

Dusk666

Hisea Ori

The Dark Graven

BlackRevenant

Lord Orion Salazar Black

Sakusha Saelbu

Horocrux

socras01

Kumo no Makoto

Biskoff

Korraganitar the NightShadow

NightInk

Lazruth

ragnrock kyuubi

SpiritWriterXXX

Ace6151

FleeingReality

Harufu

Exiled crow

Slifer1988

Dee Laynter

Angeldoctor

Final Black Getsuga

ZamielRaizunto

Fenris187

blood enraged

arashiXnoXkami

Masane Amaha's King

Blueexorist

Nero Angelo Sparda

Sharkteeth

DAPC

Kyuubi16

bunji the wolf

EternalKnight219

Shi Kami The Murderous Prodigy

DeathNoteMaker

Nostalgic Remedy

Paco the Taco Maker

Slayer of Destiny

MisaPummelman

Brunette Chic

If you could do what some other authors have done and post this petition as a temporary new chapter on some of your stories to help spreed the word? It would help a lot it's how I found out about this.


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